Plans to unveil a local meat vending machine were put on hold last week after Sacramento County officials requested more information about the new technology being introduced by an East Sacramento butcher.
V. Miller Meats was in the process of rolling out the new equipment when the business received word that the refrigerated meat vending machine would need to be reviewed by the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department.
Owner Eric Veldman Miller told the Business Journal that he had been working with New York-based Applestone Solutions LLC to develop the machine as a way to expand access to customers and extend the hours in which they could purchase items from the store.
The vending machine, which was set up in front of the business at 4801 Folsom Blvd., Suite 2, was ready to go live last Thursday when Miller was contacted by the county.
"I wasn't aware that adding a refrigerator was something that needed to be checked, but we have since filed all of the information they need to give approval," Veldman Miller told the Business Journal on Monday.
Kim Nava, director of public information for Sacramento County, said the department needs to determine if the machine meets applicable standards set by the National Automatic Merchandising Association or by the safety standards organization NSF International.
"The documents that we need for review are the manufacturer's specification, to make sure that the vending machine meets Health and Safety Code requirements, which is to make sure that the vending machine is constructed in accordance with applicable NSF international or National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) standards," Nava said in an email. "The manufacturer's specifications generally come with the vending machine upon delivery. The owner can also request the manufacturer's specifications from the vendor."
Veldman Miller said he has been in communication with county representatives since being notified and has submitted the necessary documents for review.
"I don't have a timeline but we hope to have it cleared up very soon," he said Monday morning.
Nava said the county department had yet to receive the necessary documents on Monday afternoon, but once received the review process should take one day if the vending machine meets the proper standards.
The meat vending machine will allow customers to buy cuts of meat at all hours of the day. Customers will use a touch-screen menu to make their orders, and the machine only takes cards for payment.
All products placed in the refrigerated machine would be vacuum-sealed and would come with a bar code that is scanned for weight and the date it was sealed. That information is then uploaded to software that can be accessed by the business that shows how long an item has been in the machine and when it would need to be sold or replaced. Veldman Miller said regulations require the items to be replaced after 14 days, but he plans to replace them after seven days to help ensure freshness.
V. Miller Meats sells local grass-fed, grass-finished beef and lamb, sustainably raised pork, and pasture-raised poultry from family farms around the state and Oregon. It also sells sausages, charcuterie and deli meats, as well as bone broth and soups.
