A seminar organised by the UK Dairy Council for vending, catering and education representatives to discuss healthy vending in schools, included the unveiling of a new drinks machine that vends all types of dairy products, whatever the size or shape.

Speakers and delegates felt the time was right to invest in healthy vending, with so much attention being focused on healthy eating in schools following the campaign led by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. “Many head teachers are looking for alternatives to traditional vending in response to pressure from government to improve food standards,” said Joe Harvey, director of the Health Education Trust.

Arnold Fewell, author of the Sodexho School Meals and Lifestyle Survey 2005, dispelled any myths that students could not afford to eat healthy foods, highlighting that the average teenager had over