More than 2 million machines vend beverages in the United States, but anyone with three quarters and a taste for milk would likely die of dehydration while looking for their preferred beverage.
That may begin to change, and sooner rather than later if a development project between Vendo Co. and Tetra Pak Inc. bears fruit. The firms recently introduced Vari-Pak, a machine adapted to hold most beverage containers up to 7 inches tall, including aseptic bottles and paperboard composites. The machines, which have a clear panel to provide a view of the products inside, have been in field tests since September, according to Blair Vance, Tetra Pak's director of vending.