Every two years it is the same thing in Paris: the SIAL fair opens its doors and thousands of visitors from all over the world rush through the corridors of the Villepinte exhibition centre to conduct business, discover the new hype in the food sector, or just fulfil a kind of pilgrimage.

Let’s be honest, fresh produce is not the biggest area in this food and beverage extravaganza any more. The big players make less and less of a presence and the space is largely occupied by smaller companies.

Don’t get me wrong, on the sourcing side there may be the odd good surprise for the SIAL visitor. But obviously the competition from Berlin’s winter highlight, Fruit Logistica, is very harsh and some visitors already forecast a slow but certain decline in space devoted to fruit and veg at the Parisian fair. This seems a little over the top, but it is fair to say the organisers will have to find better ways of making SIAL more attractive in the eyes of the big produce operators. Organising special business meetings was a good attempt this year.

At the same time, on the opposite side of the capital, there was another fair - the DA (Distribution Automatique) Vending show. Of course, the exhibitors were essentially there to sell their new technologically updated machines and systems and, except for the wholesalers’ network Hexagro, which boldly had a stand, fruit and vegetables were not prominent.

In France, the banning of the vending machines in schools and colleges, decided in 2005 by the Parliament, left the operators baffled at first before they turned their attention elsewhere. But the situation has changed. The second official PNNS plan - a kind of good practices guidebook tackling obesity by promoting a healthier diet - has just been published. The recommendations are not compulsory but operators (caterers, restaurants, retailers) are strongly advised to consider and follow them.

At a time when consumers are gradually starting to embrace better eating habits, this situation may be a booster for fresh produce. The vending machine company managers know where their interest lies: the PNNS programme might be the key to reopen the colleges’ gates and having contact with wholesalers, the only ones able to provide the freshest produce to the machines, is a way to prepare for the future.

Wholesalers should take advantage of this golden opportunity chance because if not, alternative companies, namely cash-and-carries might also be interested.