Mayor Rahm Emanuel wants to limit their offerings to healthy snacks and lower-calorie beverages, starting in January, when a new vending machine contract takes effect.
No longer would the company determine the line-up of products sold at 157 snack machines and 198 beverage machines located at government buildings.
The city would establish strict and first-ever guidelines for fat, sugar and calorie content.
Beverage machines would require that: only 25 percent of cold beverages sold be "high-calorie;" the remaining 75 percent of cold beverages contain 25 calories or less-per-eight ounces; hot beverages be limited to 25 calories and that all types of beverages except water and seltzer be limited to 12 ounces.
Regulations governing the 157 snack machines would be equally stringent. They would require that at least 75 percent of the food options sold in each machine contain 250 calories or less. At least five of the items sold in each machine would be required to contain 250 mg or less of sodium-per-serving. And at least one item in each machine would have to be gluten-free and without nuts.
The prices for healthier food and drink items could not exceed the prices charged for less healthy food and beverage items, under the ordinance that Emanuel plans to introduce at Thursday's City Council meeting.
