Vending machines to offer healthy snacks at three Brussels metro stations

The announcement that soon metro passengers will be able to purchase a healthy snack while they are waiting for the metro was made by the Brussels regional transport minister Elke Van den Brandt (Flemish green). Ms Van den Brandt was responding to a question from the Francophone green regional MP Thomas Naessens who had expressed concern that the existing vending machines only offer processed food that contains much too much sugar or salt. 

Last year the Brussels regional authority issued a tender to find companies that could supply vending machines that offer healthy food and drink options to passengers using the capital’s metro system. A first candidate expressed an interest in June. After a meeting between the company and the Brussels public transport operator MIVB it was agreed that the vending machines would be given a trial run in three metro stations: Montgomery, Schuman and Kunst-Wet. 

Ms Van den Brandt told the Brussels regional news platform Bruzz that the vending machines will be installed as soon as the company is ready to commence operations. This should be either some time this month or at the very latest next month.

Mr Naessens told Bruzz that this is very good news. He added that it isn’t his intent to dictate to people what they should eat, but rather to give people the choice of a healthy snack if that is what they want. The existing vending machines that sell, chocolate bars, sweets, waffles, soft drinks and crisps will still be available for those that wish to make purchases from them. 

It is still unclear how long the trial period will run. It seems likely that healthy snack options will be available at other stations on the metro network later this year. Last August a second candidate expressed an interest in providing healthy snack vending machines. A meeting between the candidate and MIVB is planned for the coming weeks.