Vending machines for healthy food, from Spain this time

Finding a convenient, healthy snack can be difficult in workplaces and schools where fruit trees are long gone and the best on offer now comes from a vending machine stuffed with junk food. Back in 2007 we picked out YoNaturals, a company that responded by supplying vending machines filled with organic produce. Now a Barcelona company—Lof (short for ‘Lo Fresco’)—has brought a similar service to market in Spain. Sidestepping the debate over whether organic food is all it’s cracked up to be, Lof’s emphasis is on solid nutritional value. Their machines, which are supplied, installed and maintained for free, sell nuts, prepared fruit, ready meals and Spanish speciality, gazpacho soup. Novel uses of vending machines are a staple of the Springwise diet—we’ve dispensed reports on vending machines for everything from bathing suits to hot pizzas. By using them to promote healthy eating, Lof has latched on to two key trends: convenience and organic foods, with a model that creates social value as well as profits. Spotted by: Joandó Reverter