ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Sustainable Diets
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1439690
Sustainability aspects of food and drinks offered in vending machines at Slovenian universities
Provisionally accepted
- 1Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
- 2Slovene Consumers' Association, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Vending machines offer a convenient way for food distribution, particularly favored by employees, students, and individuals seeking a quick snack. Food vending machines typically offer unhealthy, calorie-dense, and nutrient-poor options, which contribute to the rise of non-communicable diseases. Creating a healthier food environment is crucial, particularly in universities where students are developing their eating habits and becoming more independent. Key considerations for vending machines include the quality, nutritional value, and price of the products with a recent and growing attention towards sustainability. The present study thoroughly examined 30 vending machines across 30 faculties in Slovenia. The analysis focused on assessing the variety and sustainability of the available products. The following was evaluated through three primary criteria, based on the information available on the product label: nutritional quality, environmental impact (palm oil content, packaging materials, and sustainability certificates), and socioeconomic indicators (suitability for people with special dietary needs). The results revealed a low proportion of products met the proposed sustainability criteria, highlighting the need to promote sustainability in the vending machine industry. Although food categories like dairy products, fruits, and nuts have better nutritional profiles, they are underrepresented. In contrast, items like biscuits, crisps, snacks, and pre-prepared sandwiches often exceed recommended fat, salt, and sugar levels. More than one-quarter of products contained palm oil, only two were labelled as palm oil-free, and a limited proportion of products were suitable for individuals with special dietary requirements such as gluten sensitivity and lactose intolerance. Improving the food selection in vending machines, guided by suggested sustainability criteria, presents a promising strategy for reshaping the food environment and promoting sustainable healthy diets, taking into account nutritional, environmental, and socioeconomic indicators. * No added sweeteners. 554 ** No added sugar.
Keywords: vending machines, University, food nutritional quality, sustainability, Environmental impact
Received: 28 May 2024; Accepted: 23 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Rozman, Lorber, Bolha, Bevc Bahar, Lavrič and Šostar Turk. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Urška Rozman, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.