The food dispenser on Hal Spacejock's spaceship was invented at an R&D military research site. I makes strangely colored food out of human sewage, then launches it at the consumer as though it were a missile. Hal has to sneak up on it using a lunch tray as a shield in order to eat. Mostly he's afraid of it, and eats candy bars instead.
I'm loving this book series sooooo much!