Schoolchildren on Spain’s east coast are being given the chance to enjoy a banana from the Canaries snack instead of less healthy snacks under a ground-breaking vending machine initiative.
A pilot project being carried out in a number of schools in Valencia sees children given the choice of opting for the Canaries’ best-known fruit export instead of the usual sweet treats (chocolate, pastries, sugary drinks) dispensed in school vending machines.
The project will run for three weeks and uptake of the banana option will be monitored to see if the idea might be extended to other schools in the Valencia region and further afield.
The Canaries’ association of banana producers ASPROCAN says the initiative is not without its challenges, not least that vending machines, by their very nature, are designed to be low maintenance and tend to dispense non-perishable, ultra-processed foods that can remain for several weeks and even months in the machines. An added cost factor is that the Valencia machines need to be equipped with cooling systems to keep the bananas (individually-wrapped in breathable bags) at the appropriate temperature throughout the trial.
ASPROCAN hopes that the trial will help encourage a change of habits among schoolchildren and will give Canarian bananas a valuable shopwindow to attract a potentially massive segment of younger consumers.
Photo: Asprocan
