A machine (10) for the production and dispensing of food products such as ice cream and the like comprises a tub (11) containing a cylindrical evaporator (12) of a refrigerating circuit (13) and motor-driven helical mixer (14) which rotates coaxially inside the evaporator. The tub is also provided at the front with a tap (15) for dispensing the product through a dispensing outlet (16) which is arranged above a front zone of the machine which receives a container (18) for holding a measured amount of product. Behind the receiving zone the machine has, in the form of a single module (20), a control panel provided with means (21) for displaying information about the machine, pushbuttons (22) for operating the machine and a sensor (23) which detects the presence of an object which is placed in the vicinity of the receiving zone and activates the machine so as to prepare it for dispensing via the tap when the presence of an object is detected.
