STORY BY AIDEN EISEL, STAFF WRITER
PHOTOS BY GABI GARCIA, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The new Foodture vending machines arrived on Cypress College’s campus last week and I took the opportunity to taste the available products to determine whether the quality was worth each labeled price.
The first thing I tried was the pepperoni pizza and I noticed how hard it was to cut with the utensils that the machine provides. The utensils are made with a biodegradable material that resembles cardboard. The material’s strength is not enough to cut through the food efficiently. The pizza itself was crunchy in the middle and had a bit of taste. The crust tasted kind of soft and discolored. but the temperature allowed for the ingredients to remain fresh and avoid the possibility of the bread getting soggy. The cheese was also melted to the right temperature. I felt like this was the best one I tried and my favorite one based on texture and taste. Another thing to note is the sodium level on this contains 1,500 mg of sodium, which is over half the limit an average person should consume a day. The average person should consume around 2,300 mg of sodium a day.
Photo by Gabi Garcia, Co-Editor-In-Chief
A student cutting into the pepperoni pizza from the Foodture vending
machines with different utensils from the ones provided by the machine.
The next item I tasted was the gluten-free cheese pizza. Just like the pepperoni, it wasn’t easy to cut with the utensils provided. Unlike the pepperoni though, the crust was flat and tasted burnt, the crust was stiff and the overall appearance of the product was unappetizing. The cheese blend had lots of flavor, but overall didn’t taste as well as I had expected it to for being a cheese pizza. The crust had an organic taste since it was gluten-free.
Photo by Gabi Garcia, Co-Editor-In-Chief
The gluten-free cheese pizza from the Foodture vending machine.
The last item I tried was the pasta carbonara. It had the same utensils provided as the pizzas. The overall temperature was lukewarm and it lacked flavor. It was dry and tasted like buttery noodles. The meat in the pasta lacked seasoning and had no flavor.
Photo by Gabi Garcia, Co-Editor-In-Chief
The pasta carbonara from the Foodture vending machine.
Overall, the price to get the food from the machine may be considered expensive to some, but I don’t believe the quality of the food was worth the money. Considering the nutritional facts the food contains large amounts of sodium, it isn’t the healthiest option for people who have to pay a bit of a price to get them.
I’d only recommend it if you’re in a rush and have no other options. There are still more options to come but the school has decided to only roll out a few options at a time depending on demand for certain options becomes evident.
