European vending manufacturers in zero-sugar hot drinks pledge

The European Vending Machine Manufacturers Association (EVMMA), a group within the European Vending & Coffee Service Association (EVA) representing 20 machine manufacturers, has pledged to set a zero-sugar level on hot drinks machines as standard.

This now means that hot drinks vending machines will be configured as standard in the factory with no added sugar, unless a specific request has been made otherwise.

The EVMMA said that this should mean in practice that consumers will no longer have to take action at a hot drinks machine to actually remove the sugar option if it is not desired.

Manufacturers typically set up their machines in the factory to ensure that the highest quality coffee can be dispensed. This means for example, that the coffee bean grind is optimised. Until now, however, to reflect consumers’ taste demands, some sugar may have been added to coffee-based drinks in the initial setup.

Now this step to stop unintentional sugar intake from vending machines has been taken by European manufacturers in order to demonstrate their action in a wider EVA commitment to encourage a more nutritious offering at vending machines.

The move follows other recent voluntary initiatives in the vending industry aiming to promote healthier eating, including a collaboration between the Spanish Vending Association and the Spanish government on a range of criteria with the aim to provide more balanced options in vending machines in the market.

The EVA represents all segments of the coffee service, water dispenser and vending industry: machine and component manufacturers, suppliers of commodities, and operators.