Attendees at the National Automatic Merchandising Association National Expo were updated on important legislative issues, including the expected requirement to post calorie counts and other product nutritional information on the vending machines by Ned Monroe, CAE, NAMA senior vice president of government affair. He expects operators will be forced to disclose the nutritional facts at the point of sale within three years. Monroe said his chief concern will be who is responsible if the nutrition information posted is incorrect. "We don't want the operators held liable if route drivers incorrectly stock the machine," said Monroe.
Monroe mentioned that NAMA is looking at other issues, such as securing money for vending operators from the government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). NAMA is also looking at creating transparencies in how commissions are paid to level the field for competing vending bids and disclose commissions to the purchasers that are included in product prices.
Government affairs has created a new website, NAMAvoice.com, which houses news about food-related rules, regulations and programs. The site allows operators to read about upcoming issues as well as determine who their local representatives are and communicate with them. Additionally, users can register to vote or get absentee ballots.
