Smart vending decision makers put IoT as a priority News | Industry Updates


Global IoT connectivity specialist, Eseye, has launched its ‘2021 State of IoT Adoption: Smart Vending’ report which looks at the current challenges facing IoT decision makers in the Smart Vending sector in both the UK and USA. In 2020, the global smart vending machine market was valued at $4.6 million, with an expected annual growth rate of 10.47% until 2027. Vending machines are a hugely convenient part of everyday modern life. However, traditionally, they have been notoriously resource-intensive for businesses to operate and manage. Fast forward to 2021, smart vending


machines connected via IoT are revolutionising the industry. According to


Eseye’s research, 43% of professionals within the sector, say the biggest benefit of IoT adoption is that it allows them to enter new markets and deliver new lines of business or product lines. Other benefits include helping smart vendors to increase their profits and reducing costs through increased efficiency. However, implementation is not without challenges, and overcoming these is entirely dependent on a reliable connection between the device and the network. The two main challenges smart vending suppliers have, include: • Cellular connectivity; nearly half of all respondents (49%) named this as an issue. • Physical and payment security of devices; a worry for 41% of respondents.


National Food Strategy puts children’s health first


School children are set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the much-anticipated Part 2 of the National Food Strategy, according to ProVeg UK, a non-profit organisation working to make school food healthier and more sustainable. The independent report, commissioned by the Government,


sets out recommendations to build a better food system for a healthier nation, including how to escape the “junk food cycle and protect the NHS”. The plan includes the following changes to the national diet by 2032 (compared to 2019): 30% less meat 30% more fruit and vegetables 50% more fibre 25% less foods high in saturated fat, salt and sugar Jimmy Pierson, director of ProVeg UK, which were consulted by


the National Food Strategy team in the creation of the report, said: “This ground-breaking strategy is a huge stride forward for school children, who can, by eating more plant-based foods and less meat, become one of its biggest beneficiaries. It also recognises the need for diet change not climate change, and how crucial a role the public sector can play in meeting the Government’s ambitious climate targets. “We now strongly encourage the Government to redesign the Government Buying Standards for Food in line with the recommendations to encourage the public sector to serve less meat and dairy and more wholegrains, fruit, vegetables and pulses. And we look forward to the outcome of the ongoing update of the School Food Standards and hope, in light of the report’s ambitious meat-reduction target, to see the removal of the requirement to serve meat at least three times a week and dairy every day. “The shift towards eating more plant-based foods and less


meat is already in full flow in schools. We’re working with dozens of local authorities, schools and catering companies on menu changes that are being received overwhelmingly positively by


Other key findings include: • 74% of respondents said their IoT project failed to deliver all the benefits anticipated at the outset, claiming it was only ‘somewhat successful’. • 91% of the smart vending respondents said that IoT is a priority for the business in the next year. • 86% of smart vending respondents are planning to increase their spending on IoT in the coming year.


The study was undertaken by


independent research organisation, Opinion Matters, among 500 senior decision makers (250 UK, 250 USA) and implementers of IoT strategy within five sectors.


children and parents. This strategy now offers other school food providers the opportunity to follow suit, and for the Government to accept the direction of travel towards more plant-based foods in the form of new legislation in the coming months.” The role of meat has, as expected, been placed at the heart of


the strategy, taking up six of the 16 chapters. It emphasises the major role to be played by alternative protein sources, particularly in place of highly processed animal products, with the onus on government intervention to achieve the targets. The report also calls on the Government to double the funding


for the School Fruit and Veg Scheme, while also recommending a new ‘Eat and Learn’ scheme in which Government should require schools to work with accreditation schemes, such as Food for Life, and schemes to provide training to catering staff, such as ProVeg UK’s School Plates programme. Mr Pierson added: “The recommendations are potentially great


news for addressing childhood obesity. We know that a diet based around vegetables and fruits, legumes and whole grains, inclusive of less animal-derived saturated fat, can support children to maintain a healthy weight, lowering the prevalence of obesity. “The increased fibre consumption from eating more plant


foods would also be hugely beneficial for school children, most of whom in the UK are fibre-deficient, with only 18% of children aged five to 15 eating five standard portions of fruit and vegetables per day.”


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