Hospitals and other health facilities have been ordered by the HSE to provide healthier food choices in their vending machines.

However, less healthy products, such as crisps and fizzy drinks, can still make up 40% of total products in health facility vending machines under a new HSE policy.

In new rules, the HSE has stipulated that all food and drink vending machines must have their products labelled as 'better choice', meaning they are lower in calories, fat and sugar, and 'other choice', meaning they are less healthy.

A HSE policy document says there should be a minimum 60:40 ratio of better choice to other choice products in vending machines on health premises. However, the proportion of better choice can be adjusted upwards at the discretion of local health management.

A 'better choice' item must have less than 150 kcals per packet, while an 'other choice' item has between 150 and 250 calories per packet. 

Fat, sugar and salt content per 100g is not restricted under the 'other choice' vending machine product classification, while for example, a 'better choice' product must have a maximum of 20g total fat per 100g.

Some items are to be completely banned from HSE vending machines as they exceed the calorie limits.

An example is: "Rumblers Oat Clusters & Natural Low Fat Yogurt - Scrummy Strawberries', which has a 275 kcals count, according to the HSE document.

Under the new HSE criteria, Robinsons Fruit Shoot, an apple, or Hayes Farms Strawberry Low Fat Yogurt meet the better choice criteria, while Tayto Salt & Vinegar crisps meet the other choice criteria.

Soft fizzy drinks like Coca Cola cannot be labelled as better choice but come under the other choice category and will continue to be included in vending machines.

Advertising of the less healthy other choice products will no longer be permitted on vending machines, while advertising of better choice products will be permitted. Subliminal advertising using familiar colours to promote other choice brands will not be permitted.

The HSE says healthier food and drink products should be placed in prime slots and at eye level to prompt their choice over less healthy offerings. All vended products should clearly display the amount of calories they contain alongside their price so that consumers can use this information to help them make an informed choice, the HSE says.

The document notes that vending is a source of income for the HSE and sales may drop during the initial phase of the introduction of healthy vending. However, the HSE says the potential to regain sales revenue may occur through acquiring new customers interested in healthier options.

Any potential supplier of vending services to the HSE must in future have the ability to adhere in full to the healthier options policy.

The report points out that six out of every 10 Irish adults were found to be obese or overweight in the National Adult Nutrition Survey.

It says the introduction of a healthy vending policy provides the opportunity to improve nutrition and promote knowledge of healthy eating across the population that uses the services of the HSE.