Eat This, Not That
01/13/2010Like it or lump it, the government is forging ahead with healthcare reform, and bipartisan efforts are supporting calorie count labeling for all restaurants and vending machine operators serving 20 locations or more. The legislation, once passed, will also require additional nutritional information to be available upon request to consumers. The word is that all of this will need to be in effect within a year following passage. That’s a tall order for vending operators.
This doesn’t simply involve the cost of complying with the regulations, but also the possibility of rethinking product offerings. Research has found that, when armed with calorie content and other nutritional information, consumers eat less and make different choices. This isn’t surprising…heck, I check the label of everything I buy (and things I don’t buy), to the point that I don’t need to read the label in a vending machine. I already know what’s in the stuff. That being said, if I want one of those 500 calorie fruit pies, and the label is plastered in front of me instead of tucked neatly on the reverse of the package, I’ll probably think twice and get something else. That’s why I only buy those from a machine: no label access. Point being, I’m guessing I’m not alone in the comfort that the nutritional ignorance provides, and once this information is posted on machines for the world to see, product offerings may need to change. It might be harder to get a buck for the chocolate that is posted next to the organic fruit-and-nut bar with carob coating.
It will be interesting to see the impact on vending products in the year ahead.
christine.papesch@veii.com
