South Australian universities moving to slash access to sugary snacks, remove colourful branding from vending machines

Two major SA universities are moving to restrict on-campus access to sugary drinks and snacks, replacing them with healthier food choices. What do you think about the move?

Student and staff tempted to grab a sugary snack or drink will have fewer choices as universities overhaul vending machines in a bid to break bad dietary habits.

UniSA is slashing by a fifth its 100-odd snack machines, is removing company and colourful branding promoting sugary and unhealthy food, and stocking machines with healthier options such as cheese, tuna, nuts and dried fruit.

A bottle of water now costs $1.80 under the changes, which the university started rolling out from March 1.

UniSA nutrition and food sciences program director Evangeline Matzioris hoped student and staff would choose the healthy products.

“It is a complex balance – we need to ensure there is convenient food and drink for people working and studying on campus,’’ she said.

The university will study how students and staff respond to the healthier options and rebranded machines.

Flinders University will trial five “healthy eating” vending machines at part of a broader “healthy campus” initiative including edible gardens.

Adelaide University is also investigating healthier options in conjunction with the Adelaide University Union which controls content of campus machines.

UniSA and Flinders University are promoting healthier options in on-campus vending machines.

The moves come after lobbying by SA’s 2020 Australian of the Year Dr James Muecke who has used his position to campaign against the links between ultra-processed fast-food, sugary drinks and diseases such as diabetes.

Last year Dr Muecke – an eye surgeon – last year convinced Australia Post to remove confectionary from the counters of more than 700 stores.

Several SA Foodland stores followed suit after Dr Muecke’s lobbying.

“The rising tide of type 2 diabetes is a growing epidemic that is now costing our health system close to $20 billion annually,’’ Dr Muecke said.

2020 Australian of the Year, ophthalmologist James Muecke, has waged a war on sugar. Picture Matt Turner.

“Type 2 diabetes can be avoided by reducing our intake of sugar, refined carbohydrates and highly processed foods.”

Dr Muecke wrote to vice chancellors of Adelaide’s three universities a year ago asking them to partner with him in raising awareness of the health dangers of sugary food and remove vending machines.

“Avoidance of environmental cues that trigger addictive thoughts and feelings is critical to support recovery from any addiction, including sugar detox,” he wrote in an email to UniSA Vice Chancellor David Lloyd, he supplied to The Advertiser.

Dr Muecke said there is scientific evidence that sugar is “directly implicated” in development of type 2 diabetes a “blinding, maiming and deadly disease that’s estimated to be affecting 1.6 million Aussies”.