NAMA member David Durnbaugh, president of the Maryland-DC Vending Association and owner of SunDun Office Refreshments, recently testified at a hearing with the Washington, D.C. City Council regarding The Workplace Wellness Act of 2013, an act that would restrict items offered for sale, in vending machines in city buildings, as it relates to percentage of “healthy” items.
Durnbaugh’s comments focused on NAMA’s commitment to providing nutrition information and the association’s FitPick program. “Most of the industry is already meeting and/or exceeding the nutrition goals, in D.C.’s city buildings, set forth by the proposed regulation. Since 2005, when NAMA created its FitPick and Balanced for Life programs, it has remained committed to providing the information consumers need to make the right snack and beverages choices,” said Durnbaugh in a prepared statement. “In addition to FitPick, SunDun was instrumental in adopting a healthy vending labeling program used on the company’s vending machines.”
NAMA is working in partnership with the Blind Vending Committee of D.C. and the MD-DE-DC Beverage Association on this proposed regulation and any possible amendments. As written, the regulation could potentially reduce sales for blind vendors participating in the Randolph Sheppard program.
Other presenters included representatives from the American Heart and Stroke Association, Advocates for Better Children’s Diets, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the MD-DE-DC Beverage Association. Government witnesses included representatives from D.C.’s Department of Human Resources, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Services Administration.
