healthier vending - public health agency benefits of healthier vending this healthier vending...
TRANSCRIPT
Contents
Introduction 3
Benefitsofhealthiervending 3
Whatishealthiervending? 4
Stepbystepplan 5
Healthiervendingchecklist 12
Integratingwithotherschoolfoodprojects 13
Curriculumlinks 14
Sourcesoffurtherinformation 16
Introduction Benefits of healthier vending
Thishealthiervendingguidanceis
intendedtohelpschoolsestablish
healthierfoodanddrinkvendingas
anattractive,usefulandprofitable
service.Itwillhelpinformschools
andcaterersonthepractical
implicationsofusingvendingin
schools.
FromApril2008,thenutritional
standardsforschoolluncheshave
beenextendedtoincludeallother
foodanddrinksprovidedinschools.
Thiswillcovervendingmachines
andthereforeschoolsandcaterers
needtoensurethatanyfoodordrink
providedmeetsthestandards.For
example,crisps,sweets,chocolate
bars,cerealbarsandfizzyorsugary
drinkscannolongerbeprovided.
Forfurtherinformationpleaserefer
tothenutritionalstandardsfor
otherfoodanddrinksinschools
whichisavailablefromtheschool
mealsectionoftheDepartmentof
Education’swebsiteat
www.deni.gov.uk
Implementingahealthiervendingpolicy:
• canencouragehealthiereatinghabits;
• extendsexistingfoodprovisionthroughout
theschoolday,egbreakfast,breaktime,
lunchandafterschool;
• increasesthevarietyoffoodanddrinks
available;
• offersa‘grabandgo’opportunitytobusy
pupilsandstaff;
• reducesqueuesatpeakperiods,eg
lunch-timeservice;
• helpskeeppupilsonsiteduringtheday;
• maygenerateincomefortheschool.
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What is healthier vending?
Manyschoolshavevendingmachinesandalthoughvendingmay
havebeencriticisedinthepast,thereisnoreasonwhyitcannot
providearangeoffoodanddrinkinlinewithnutritionalstandards
andwhichissupportiveofawholeschoolfoodapproach.
Healthiervendingmayhelpgenerateincomeforyourschool.
Vendingshouldnotbelookedatinisolation,butaspartofthe
planningforthewholeschoolfoodservice.Thevendingservice
shouldreflecttheobjectivesofyourwholeschoolfoodpolicy.
Guidelinesabouttheuseandcontentsofvendingmachines
shouldbediscussedandimplementedinordertomeetwhole
schoolobjectivesandtopromotehealthierchoicesanda
balanceddiet.Thesemayinclude:
• workingwiththecateringservicetoinvestigatetheuseof
chilledvending;
• changingthecasingofthemachinessothatno,orminimal,
advertisingofproductbrandsisdisplayed;
• workingwithsuppliersandvendorstoofferhealthierchoices;
• usingchilledandambientvendingmachinesalongsideeach
otherinordertoofferabroaderrangeofoptions,eg
sandwiches,yogurtsandfreshfruit.
Case study
Althoughthevendingmachineatalargeintegratedschoolmade
alossinitially,itstartedtomakeasmallprofitafterpromotional
activities,andprovedenormouslypopularwithpupils.Thepupils
weresurveyedandreportedakeeninterestinhealthandhealthier
eating.Sandwichesandbaguettesarenowthebestsellers.
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5
Step by step plan
1. Getting started
Nomatterwhattypeofvendingyourschoolisplanningoralreadyprovides,itisimportantthat
itisundertakenaspartofawholeschoolapproachandnotinisolation.Ausefulstartisto
developawholeschoolfoodpolicy,enablingyourschooltowritearationaleforvendinginyour
school(seebooklettwo:Establishing a whole school food policy).Thiswillensurethatthis
particularaspectoffoodserviceprovisioncomplements,ratherthanworksagainst,yourschool
ethosandapproachtohealthiereatinganddrinking.
Commitmentfromtheseniormanagementoftheschoolandthecateringservice(especiallyifit
isinvolvedinvendingprovision)isimportanttothesuccessofhealthiervending.Thisshouldbe
establishedduringthepreliminarydiscussionontherationaleandpurposeoftheservice.Each
partyshouldexaminethepotentialbenefitsavailabletothemandtothosetheyrepresent,and
thensettheseagainsttheresourcesrequired.
Thewholeschoolcommunityshouldbeconsideredwhensettinguphealthiervending.Allwho
haveaccesstotheschoolsitearepotentialcustomers,sotheirneedsareworthconsidering.A
workinggroupshouldbesetupandincluderepresentationfrom:
• pupils • teachingstaff
• schoolmanagement • parentsandgovernors
• cateringstaffandmanagers • localcommunity,eghealthprofessionals.
Theworkinggroupshouldconsiderthefollowingpoints:
• thetypeoffoodanddrinksold; • wherethemachineswillbelocated;
• thetypeofvendingmachinerequired,eg • whowillberesponsibleforthedaytoday
chilledorambient; operation;
• howmanypeoplewillusethemachine • whetherthereareanytrainingneeds,eg
andwhen; foodhygiene;
• pricerange(ofproducts); • howaccessiblethemachinewillbe,eg
• whatwillhappenwhentheschoolisclosed timecontrols;
duringholidaytime; • budgetforthemachine(eitherleasedor
• wherefoodscanbesourced,egschool purchased)andmaintenancecontracts;
catererorvendor; • howitemswillbepaidfor–cash,orcashless.
Step by step plan
2. Deciding what to sell
Healthiervendingshouldreflecthealthiereatingmessagesbyofferingarangeoffoodand
drinks.Allfoodanddrinksprovidedmustmeetthenewnutritionalstandardsforschoollunches
andotherfoodanddrinksinschools.Usetheeatwellplatetohelpyoudecideonabalanceof
foods(youcanfinditatwww.eatwell.gov.ukorseebooklet1:The essential guide).
Whenchoosingproductsforhealthiervending,youshouldselectthosethatarelowerinsalt,
fatandsugar.Asaschoolyouneedtodiscusswhatisbestforyourhealthiervending.Speakto
theschoolcateringserviceandtrytocomplementwhatisforsaleinthediningroom.Findout
whattheschoolcommunitywouldliketoseeavailable.Theproductrangecouldbediscussed
attheschoolcouncilorschoolnutritionactiongroup(SNAG).Itwouldalsobeusefultoinvolve
alocalcommunitydietitianorschoolnurse.
What can healthier vending offer?
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Chilled vending
Thiswilldependonthevendingmachinebutexamplescouldinclude:• Freshfruit,preparedfruitsaladsand driedfruits• Filledrolls,sandwichesandbaguettes• Sconeswithlow-fatspread• Salads• Pastamixes• Lowsugarbreakfastcereals,with semi-skimmedmilk• Yogurts,fromagefrais• Pizzaslices(withthickbasesandless cheese)• Semi-skimmedmilk• Water• Fruitorvegetablejuices
• Yogurtdrinks(<5%addedsugar)
Ambient vending
• Fruit• Unsaltedornon-sugaredpopcorn• Flavouredsemi-skimmedmilk(UHT)* (<5%addedsugar)• Water• Fruitjuice(>50%fruitcontent)*Thesemi-skimmedmilkintheseproductswillbeatroomtemperature.
3. Consider the practical issues
Packaging
Ifyourvendingmachinescontainfoodmadebytheschoolcatereroranoutsideprovider,
youwillneedtoconsiderthetypeofpackagingusedanditslabelling.Forexample,glass
containersarenotappropriateforschooluseforsafetyreasons.Thecaterermayalreadyuse
packagingforsomeitemswhichwouldbeappropriateforchilledvending,egplasticsandwich
containersorplasticsaladbowlswithlids.Otherproductsmaybedisplayedonatray,covered
inplasticwrap,egslicesofquicheorpizza.
Theproductsshouldbeclearlylabelledsothatpupilscan:
• selecttheproducttheywishtoeat:
• readtheingredientlist,egtoavoidingredientsbecauseofallergy,cultural,religiousor
ethicalreasons.
Planogram
Aplanogramisaplanofthelayoutoftheproductsinyourvendingmachine.Thisshouldbe
developedaftertheproductmixhasbeendecidedandwithpupilinvolvement.Productswhich
areateyelevel,oratthelevelofthecoinslot,willsellbetterasthesearethefirstproducts
seenaspupilsdecidewhattopurchase.Trytovarythepositionoffoodproductsinthe
machinetokeeppupils’interestandpromotenewfoods.
Product sourcing
Vendingproductscanmostconvenientlybesourcedbythecateringservice,orthevending
machinevendor.Alternativelytheproductscanbemadeatschool.Dependingonthetypeof
vending,theschoolcaterermaymake,stockandmanagetheproductsforsale,egsandwiches,
baguettesandsalads.
Product waste
Monitoringwastewillensurethattheproductmixcanbereviewed.Itwouldbeusefulto
considertheshelflifeofeachproduct,monitor‘bestbefore’and‘useby’dateseverytime
machinesarefilled.However,thisshouldnotcompromisetheschoolrationaleforproviding
healthieroptions.
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Step by step plan
Food hygiene and safety
Thisisparticularlyimportantforfreshfoodanddrinksthatneedtobetemperaturecontrolled
orchilled.Thepreparation,storageandsitingofallproduceshouldcomplywiththeschool’s
healthandsafetypolicies.Rememberto:
• cleanmachinesregularly;
• ensureallproductsarelabelled,especiallyiftheycontainaparticularfoodallergen;
• check‘bestbefore’and‘useby’dateseverytimemachinesarefilled;
• rotateproductsandplacenewproductsattheback.
Price
Therangeofpricespupilsarepreparedtopayforvendingfoodsreflectstheirageandthe
relativewealthoftheschool’scatchmentarea.Whileitisimportanttoofferawiderangeof
productsatvaryingprices,itisimperativetosuittheproductmixtopupils’pockets.Research
indicatesthatpricinghealthieroptionscompetitivelyisassociatedwithincreasesinthe
purchaseoftheseitems.Inaddition,evenifwaterisprovidedviavending,afreesourceof
watershouldalsobeeasilyaccessibleforallpupilstousethroughouttheschoolday.
Differenttypesofvendingmachineshavedifferentcharacteristicsandarebuiltspecifically
tovendparticularproducts.Ensurethatthereisagoodmatchbetweenthecapability
andcharacteristicsofthemachineandtheproductsyouwishtovend.Beawarethatnew
machinesandproductswillbecomeavailabletomeetnewdemandasindustryrecognisesthe
commercialpotentialandtheneedforhealthieroptions.
Youmayalreadyhavemachinesthatcanberestockedtoensurethatgreaterchoiceismade
availabletopupils.Ifyouwanttosourceavendingmachine,contacttheAutomaticVending
Association(www.ava-vending.co.uk).Theyhaveasectoronvendinginpost-primaryschools.
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4. Deciding on the type of vending
Machine: Ambient Chilled Chilled cans, foods foods cartons, etc
Design Productsmaybeheld Somehaverotating Basicmechanical onasuspendedhook drums.Their gravitysystem. orbyaspiralcoil, abilitytodisplay Thesemachines whichtheusercan productsislimited includecooling seethroughaglass buttheycanhold systemsand front,withthefood differentshapes thereforerequirea itemsfallingintoa andsizesoffoodand powerconnection. fooddispensingarea. drinkproducts. Products • freshfruit • sandwiches,rolls, • water • fruitpots(shelf- baguettes • freshsemi- stable) • pizzaslices skimmedmilk • ricecakes • yogurts • flavouredsemi- • unsaltedornon- • freshfruit skimmedmilk(UHT) sugaredpopcorn • fruitjuices • fruitjuices • freshsemi- skimmedmilk • flavouredsemi- skimmedmilk(UHT) • water
Shelf life Twotothreemonths Threedaystothree Fourdaysto12 dependingon monthsdepending monthsdepending product. onproduct. onproduct.
Vending options
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Themachinesupplierswillusuallyofferspecificservicecontractsformaintenanceand
repairs.Althoughnewmachineswillcomewithaoneyearwarranty,whetherpurchasing
orleasingneworsecond-handmachinesitisvitaltoensureyourserviceagreement
guaranteesaquickresponsetimeandthattherearenohiddenextras.Ifindoubt,check
withtheAutomaticVendingAssociation,whichoffersadviceandinformationonitswebsite
onawiderangeofaffiliatedcompaniesandproducts.
Step by step plan
Anadvantageofvendingisthatfoodand
drinkcanbeaccessedthroughoutthe
schoolday,including:
• whentheusualcateringfacilitiesare
closed;
• whenthereareheavyqueuesatbreak
andlunchtimes;
• whenspeedofserviceandeatingon
thegoareimportanttopupils,egfor
pupilswishingtoattendalunch-time
cluborasportsgame.
Thelocationofyourvendingmachine
isakeyfactor.Ifpossible,itisbestto
placeitneartothecateringareatomake
filling,maintenanceandsupervisionofthemachineaseasyaspossibleandtoensureservice
continuity(especiallyifyourhealthiervendingisrunbytheschoolcaterer).Youwillneedto
checkwiththeboardcateringservicesiftheyprovidetheschoolfood.
Accesstovending,forexamplewhenthecanteenisclosed,isalsoimportantandasourceof
extrarevenueifthereareopportunitiesforpurchasesbeforeandafterschool.Ifthemachineis
situatedinsideadiningroomthatclosesatcertaintimes,theseopportunitiesaremissedand
theserviceisdenied,althoughthemachineisbettersecuredagainstvandalismandabuse.
Litter
• Providelarge,secure,attractivelitterbinsforeachvendingmachine.
• Encourageappropriatepupilbehaviourthroughtheexistingschoolpolicy.
• Discusstheissueoflittermanagementwithinareasofsocialeducationinthecurriculum.
• Recycleorcompostwaste,perhapsforuseinyourschoolgrowingclub.
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5. Where to place the vending machine
Successfulmanagementandadministrationreliesontheinvolvementandcooperationofpupils.
Byseekingtheiradviceandensuringwidespreadunderstandingoftheinitiative,itspurpose
andoperation,youwillminimiseproblemsandmaximiseuse.Forexample,somechilledmachines
enablepupilstoremovefoodfrombehindadoor.Thiscanalsomeanthatotherobjectscan
beplacedinthemachine.However,schoolshavefoundthatthenoveltysoondisappearsand
goodpositioningofthemachinereducesthistypeofbehaviourfromthebeginning.
Forgoodsales,ensurethatpupilscanaccessavarietyoffoodanddrinkthroughouttheday.
Thiscanbeachievedby:
• ensuringthatpopularproductsarereplenishedpromptly;
• monitoringthevendingmachinesregularlytocheckworkingorder;
• helpingpupilsaccessthefoodanddrinktheywant.
Thekeyinfluencesonsales,otherthanagoodproductmix,willbethepupils’perceptionofthe
consistency,reliability,andefficiencyoftheservicethemachineoffers.
Itisworthspendingsometimeraisingawarenessofvendinganditsrationalethroughawide
varietyofmeans,priorto,andafter,launch.Thiscouldinclude:
• announcementsinyearassemblies,withinthecontextofabroadernutritionmessage;
• raisingawarenesswithpupilsthroughdiscussionabouttheschemeanditsrationalewithin
theirtutorgroups;
• pricinghealthieroptionscompetitively;
• establishingthemeorspecialeventdays,offeringdifferentorunusualfoods;
• creatingaposterdisplayforhealthiervending;
• introducingnewproductsroutinelytomaintaininterest;
• writingabouttheschemeintheschoolnewsletter;
• holdingtastersessionsfortheproposedproducts.
6. Managing healthier vending in your school
7. Promoting healthier vending
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Step by step plan
8. Evaluation
Itisimportanttomonitorandevaluateyourhealthiervending.Youcould:
• monitortheuseandcommercialsuccessofthemachine,egproducttype,numberssold
wasted,refills,pupilresponse;
• useaproformatoensurestandardisationandappropriatecollectionofdata;
• identify‘bestsellers’and‘notdoingverywell’products,andanalysetheseresultswithyour
workinggroup,especiallypupils.
Haveyouidentifiedthebenefitsofhealthiervendingforyourschool?
Areyouclearaboutwhatyouwanttoachieve?
HaveyouinvolvedtheschoolcouncilorSNAG?
Haveyoutalkedtotheschoolcateringservice?
Haveyoutalkedtotheseniormanagementteamandgottheirsupport?
Areyourpupilsinvolved?
Haveyoudecidedwhenandwherethevendingmachinewillbeavailableforuse?
Haveyouplannedtheproductmixandpricing?
Doallthefoodsanddrinksmeetthenutritionalstandardsforschoolfood?
Haveyouidentifiedwhowillmanageandadministerthevendingservice?
Aretherearrangementsforcollectinglitter?
Haveyouplannedastrategytopromotehealthiervending?
Haveyouplannedhowyouaregoingtomonitorandevaluatetheimpactofyourhealthier
vendingservice?
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Healthier vending checklist
Therearemanynaturallinkswhichcanbemadetootherschoolfoodprojects,dependingon
yourschool.Linkstohealthiervendingcouldinclude:
• Makingavailablehealthierfoodanddrinkitemsinvendingmachinestoextendthevarietyof
lunch,egfruitskewers,minisandwiches,yogurts.
• Providingchilledwaterintheproductrangeyouoffer,whileensuringthatothersourcesof
waterarefreelyavailable.
• Offeringcomplementaryproductstosupporthealthierbreaks.
• Usingvendingtohelpreducequeuesatbusytimes.
• Reviewingtheuse,positionandstyleofthevendingmachinesinthediningroom.Arethey
wellpresented?Dotheysupporthealthiereatingmessages?
Case study
Alargepost-primaryschoolinaruralsettinginstalledtwochilledvendingmachinesselling
avarietyofproductsmadein-housebytheschoolcaterers.Theseincludedpastadishes,
sandwiches,saladsandfreshsemi-skimmedmilk(whichprovedtobethemostpopularitem).
Bothmachinesmadeaprofitandsignificantlyreducedqueuingproblemsinthediningroom.
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Integrating with other school food projects
Curriculum links
Healthiervendingprovidesacontextforawidevarietyofcurriculumlinks,afewofwhichare
listedbelow.
Post-primary
Mathematics and numeracy
PupilscouldrecordproductsalesandincomegeneratedusingMicrosoftExcelspreadsheets
topredictfuturesalespatterns,supplyrequirementsandreviewplanograms.
Learning for life and work
Home economics – pupilscouldliaisewiththeschoolcaterersandhealthiervendingmachine
stafftoinvestigatearangeoffoodanddrinkswhichsupporthealthiereatinginaconsistent
manner,egislowinsaltandsaturatedfat,whilststillbeingappetisingto11–14yearolds.
The arts
Art and design–pupilscoulddesignandproducecreativeoutcomesforadisplayaroundthe
vendingmachineillustratingtheimportanceofabalanceddiet.
Forfurtheradviceandsuggestions,visit:
www.ccea.org.uk
www.nicurriculum.org.uk
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Sources of further information
Thefollowinglistprovideslinkstofurther
resourcesandinformationthatmaysupport
youindevelopingyourhealthiervending
service.
School Food Trust
www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk
TheSchoolFoodTrustprovidesan
informationbookletcalledA fresh look at
vending in schools,whichprovides
detailedinformationonschoolvending
andusefulchecklists.
Automatic Vending Association
www.ava-vending.co.uk
Everythingyoueverwantedtoknow
aboutvending.TheAutomaticVending
Association(AVA)representsallsectors
–machinemanufacturersand
distributors,suppliersofcommodities
andoperators.
Food Standards Agency
www.food.gov.uk
TheVending healthier drinksreportis
availablefromthissite.
Health Education Trust
www.healthedtrust.com
TheHealthEducationTrustisaUK
registeredcharity,formedtopromotethe
developmentofhealtheducationfor
youngpeopleintheUK.Thesite
containsinformationonhealthiervending.
ThisresourcewasoriginallydevelopedandproducedbytheHealthPromotionAgencyforNorthernIrelandaspartoftheSchoolfood:topmarksprogramme.ItwasjointlyfundedbytheDepartmentofEducationandtheDepartmentofHeath,SocialServicesandPublicSafety.