STORY BY JONAS CORLISS, STAFF WRITER
PHOTOS BY GABI GARCIA, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The new Foodture vending machines offering hot food options to students have been welcomed with varying reactions as inconsistencies arise.
The machines were brought onto campus on Feb. 20, providing students with hot meals outside of the limited cafeteria hours. This is something that many students voiced their desire for last semester, especially those who have classes later in the day. Having the new option is something that students have voiced their gratitude for. Gloria Chavez, a nursing major, stated, “I used to take night classes for statistics and I would get really hungry… I think [the machines] are a good step. It’s very convenient”
Photo by Gabi Garcia, Co-Editor-In-Chief
The Foodture Hot Food Vending Machine is located on the north side of the CCCPLX Building on Cypress College’s Campus
While students are happy with the addition of the machines, there are still some complaints that people have about them. For one, the pricing of the food ranges from $7.61 to upwards of $12. According to the Vice President of Administrative Services, Stephen Schoonmaker, this is more than what was initially planned for the prices of the meals.
“I have spoken with the company… they asked for a few days to get [the prices lower], and we’ve had them for a week. They are supposed to match the price they gave me,” stated Schoonmaker. It is now confirmed that the prices will be lowered on March 1.
Another issue included that of the machines displaying different prices for the same item.
Last week, the Foodture vending machine in the Health and Science building was on for a few hours in test mode and displayed pepperoni pizza for a significantly higher price than the other machine next to the College Complex. According to Schoonmaker, the reason for this was because it had not yet been approved by the Orange County Health Care Agency, but it had been approved by the Los Angeles Department of Health since the machine came from LA County. The machine was cleared and activated on Feb. 26 and now matches the prices of the other machine by the College Complex.
To help with the cost, Schoonmaker noted that the companies running the vending machines and the food pass are working to allow the pass to work with the machines.
Another major concern from students is how healthy the food provided by the vending machines is. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the daily recommended sodium level for an adult is 2,300 mg. The pepperoni pizza from the machines has a total of 1,500 mg of sodium, over half the recommended daily value.
When informed of the sodium levels, Chaves voiced her concerns. “I feel like [people] would rather eat the option that’s cheapest and easier to access than [the healthy food].” Despite her concerns, she stated how she was happy to have a better option for later classes compared to the normal vending machines.
Schoonmaker stated that the nutritional value is not something in the school’s control, but they can pass suggestions to the company that runs the machines for them to make. “We want to hear feedback so we can relay it to the company,” said Schoonmaker. In a response from the company, they stated “We are working to reduce sodium and saturated fat content in a number of our items and are currently experimenting with healthier ingredients.”
Photo by Jonas Corliss
The nutritional facts are displayed on the screen of the Foodture vending machines for each food item.
Schoonmaker suggests that students inform the student government of any concerns, requests, or comments regarding the vending machines who will then advise him of student opinions.
One potential issue that has impacted other campuses across the world is the use of facial recognition software in hot food vending machines. In response to these concerns, Foodture responded, “Our cameras are regular security cameras. We do not have a face recognition system.”
The utilization of the Foodture vending machines is still in the testing phase of the program. According to Schoonmaker, changes are likely to occur as students voice their opinions, including testing out vending machines from different companies. Even with this being the test phase, he stated, “The purchasing and activity of our machine are higher than any other college campus”. While there are still some kinks that need to be worked out, the school is determined to make the hot food vending machines better and easier to use for everyone.