Snack machine

The most important characteristic of an organic food is the renunciation of chemical-synthetic pesticides and easily soluble mineral fertilizers during cultivation. In addition, attention is paid to animal husbandry that is as species-appropriate as possible. Cultivation and production are regulated in the EU organic basic regulation on organic farming. Organic food that complies with EU legislation on organic farming bears the EU organic logo and is thus recognizable as "organic". This means that the term "organic" is protected by law. Food with this label is characterized by cultivation in accordance with organic farming standards. Processed products may bear the EU organic seal if they consist of at least 95% organic ingredients. The German organic label in the form of a hexagon can additionally be printed voluntarily on packaging and meets the same requirements as the EU organic logo. (light green rectangle)

Vegan products are marked with different seals and logos, which are not protected. This means they do not have to meet uniform standards. Nevertheless, they allow you to see at a glance whether a product is vegan. On the basis of these labels, we guarantee you that snacks from the vending machine marked with them do not contain any animal ingredients or products. However, the labels only evaluate ingredients from the moment they are harvested. Thus, it is possible, for example, that products labeled as vegan are fertilized with animal substances. The packaging of the product may also contain animal ingredients despite the seal.

The Fairtrade seal is used to identify products that come from fair trade and whose production complies with certain ecological and economic criteria. Fairtrade refers to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This enables small farmers to achieve more stable prices through minimum prices. The standards for the seal also include criteria on democratic organizational structures, environmental protection and safe working conditions. In addition to the normal seal, for example on bananas, you can also find seals with a black arrow on the right side. This distinguishes a mixed product, such as cookies, where all ingredients must be Fairtrade certified. The seal with the black arrow and a term above it indicates a mixed product where only the term indicated is Fairtrade certified.

Palm oil is an inexpensive vegetable fat made from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm. It is often used in the food industry for a creamy consistency. Palm oil is so inexpensive because it yields five times the amount of oil compared to other vegetable oils for the same amount of cultivation. From an ecological perspective, the product must be viewed very critically, since millions of hectares of rainforest are cleared, especially in the main cultivation areas of Indonesia and Malaysia, in order to be able to grow monocultures for the production of palm oil. This often involves slash-and-burn agriculture, which releases large quantities of greenhouse gases. At the same time, the resulting monocultures of oil palms store much less CO2 than natural mixed cultures in rainforests. In addition, the habitat of many endangered species is destroyed. There are no seals that certify palm oil-free foods, but you could check the ingredient list of your chosen product to see if it contains palm oil. The RSPO seal stands for Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil and apparently distinguishes products with sustainable palm oil. However, this label is critical because it does not prohibit the clearing of rainforests, but only the clearing of areas with special conservation value.

Plastic-free packaging distinguishes the "inner foil no plastic" symbol of Vivani chocolate bars. Products of this brand are ecologically packaged, as well as printed with mineral oil-free inks. In addition, the chocolate is packaged in a wood fiber-based film. The logo helps to identify plastic-free products. These in turn are more sustainable than plastic packaging, as they are compostable and do not have to be incinerated, releasing greenhouse gases. Less plastic consumption also saves petroleum.

The "Rapunzel" products from the vending machine bear the "Hand in Hand" seal. This distinguishes fairly traded organic products that meet strict requirements. For example, the organic inspection is carried out twice a year by an independent organic inspection organization. Hand in Hand partners are also guaranteed personal, direct and long-term supply relationships, as well as fair prices. The seal also pays attention to the prohibition of child labor and humane working conditions.