by Amanda Smith, Associate Editor
Long reserved for chips, candy and soda, vending machines have found a second wind in the food and beverage category. Throughout the European Union, dairymen are stocking the stainless steel fridges, located in supermarket parking lots, town squares or on the farm, with their raw milk product.
Available in Italy since 2004, vending machines that dispense unpasteurized milk have proliferated throughout Europe in recent years. As of late, noted a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, these machines have come under siege.
Raw milk is a polarizing topic. Much like the political party you choose to support, it's a topic rife with strong opinions. In the U.S., raw milk sales are heavily regulated and banned outright in several states. Within the EU, though, countries are left to make their own laws on how and if raw milk may be sold.
Proponents say high-tech features make the milk machines safe. Special valves stop the milk from flowing if it gets too warm, and texts are sent to the farmer if there is a malfunction or if the milk supply is running low.
In Italy, home to 1,000-plus raw milk vending machines, regulators have cracked down on sales, suspending or shutting down machines that don't meet hygiene standards. A study conducted in Northern Italy found that the milk samples collected from vending machines showed a significant elevation in total bacterial counts when compared to bulk tank milk samples.
Machines that remain must carry warning signs, advising buyers to boil their milk before drinking it, noted the article.
Meanwhile, the machines are allowed in England if they are located on-farm. In 2011, noted the Wall Street Journal, one machine was placed in a London department store, but the U.K.'s Food Standards Agency (FSA) intervened, ultimately launching a lawsuit alleging that the store and farmer breached food hygiene regulations.
In July, the FSA considered whether to allow the wider use of the vending machines. A rule change would not apply in Scotland, where the sale of raw milk is banned.
The organization issued a briefing paper stating vending machines would be the best way of making raw milk available to the wider public. Yet, they admitted there is the potential for additional public health risks associated with raw dairy milk.
The FSA stopped short of recommending that raw milk should be sold openly, stating that there was not enough evidence to assess the possible health risks. The board said a final decision would not be made until the European Food Safety Authority has delivered the findings of its review on the risks from raw milk, which is expected this December.
