Gone are the days that vending machines simply sold things like candy and chips. Thanks to the innovation at Ohio State University, there’s now such a thing as a bacon vending machine.
Students can choose between a box of 12 strips or a pouch of bacon bits, both of which are pre-cooked and only cost $1. The machine — which the Ohio Pork Council installed in the Animal Sciences Building at the university’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences — works as expected, where you simply insert money and receive ready-to-eat bacon. The bacon was donated by Smithfield Foods, Hormel and Sugardale Foods. All proceeds will benefit Ohio State’s meat science department, and the program’s students are responsible for maintaining the machine.
So far, that seems to be demanding job. The Chicago Tribune reported that the machine has to be restocked four or five times a day. It is finals season, after all!
“The bacon vending machine is a unique and fun way for the Ohio Pork Council to support Ohio State students and promote the pork industry at the same time,” said Dave Shoup, president-elect of the Ohio Pork Council, according to Today.
Unfortunately, the machine is temporary. It will only be on campus until December 13 — unless it makes a miraculous return at some point. The Ohio Pork Council told Gizmodo, “The future of this bacon vending machine is still unknown — we may see it again, or maybe not. Time will tell!”
Long live the bacon vending machine!