Comments on: Rice Dream Rice Milk Contains Unwanted Chemicals

By: michelle

michelle — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:50:21 +0000

Maybe I can be of some help concerning “animal products” in your’ rice milk. I observe Koshrus, and according to Orthdox Jewish law, meat and dairy products can not be mixed. Therefore all food products that are “kosher” must be labled if they are dairy or meat. RIce Dream is labled “parve,” which means that it is neither dairy nor meat…meaning NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS…not even as additives.

How can we know that the additives are not animal? Jewish law does not allow us to simply trust the word of the food producer; we must have food products supervised by Orthodox Jews as they are made, and checked at random, so that no one has time to clean up their act without it being known. I know that might not mean much to someone who does not keep kosher, but to me, it means a lot that someone/unrelated to the company, is checking to make sure my food is exactly what it claims to be.

By: jen

jen — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:04:58 +0000

Does anyone know where Rice Dream products are manufactured and distributed from? I tried to find out via an Internet search but didn’t find the answer. Just want to make sure they don’t manufacture in or get any ingredients from China. I called their consumer department - they told me that nothing they use comes from China (including the cartons), and that they manufacture here in the US, but I never know if I should believe these people. If you know anything, please post. Thanks!

By: admin

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:11:07 +0000

Hi Sara, and thank you for sharing your (rather gruesome) experiences from working in the food industry.

Making your own rice milk is a fine suggestion.

Telling folks not to be freaked out about eating chemicals…maybe not such a great idea. It’s exactly experiences like yours that should inform people as to why they should try to eat as few processed foods as possible, and at the very least, to avoid products with chemical additives.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

By: sara

sara — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 07:24:50 +0000

OH my stop being so freaked out. y’all make me smile.. I used to work in the food industry. There are natural flavor enhancers usually derived from nuts or left over vanilla beans. Vanillin being a derivative of vanilla without the alcohol content. It Is typically labeled as natural flavor. since vanilla is such a pure flavor if you stick chemicals in it you typically can taste them. And you wouldn’t want them to stick all those used vanilla beans in the landfill? would you? Not when they can be recycled?? They still have flavor.. ya know after they extract every bit of vanillin flavor from them they recycle them one more time. You find the waste product from all the vanilla in your “vanilla bean” ice cream. yup those black flecks are just that black flecks they smell like nothing when you dump them in the vat.. They are natural vanilla bean flecks…

I hope you vegetarians aren’t drinking any apple juice because you do know that bugs are allowed in it.. and wine I can’t tell you how many rats have been pulled from the pickers and how many haven’t. Be sure not to eat anything blue, because that is made from beetles. And how do those weevils get in my flour.. oh wait they were there from the very beginning… if you folks really knew what you were eating…

Rice milk can be made at home very cheaply if you don’t like what they put in it make it your self.
keep smiling…

By: admin

admin — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 06:29:25 +0000

Hi Joyce -
Luckily, you can get the ORIGINAL flavor of Rice Dream Rice Milk for your child, as it does not contain ‘natural’ flavors like the VANILLA does.

If your child misses the vanilla taste, you could always get a little organic vanilla and add it to the milk.

Hope this helps.

By: joyce carlson

joyce carlson — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 02:37:22 +0000

I appreciate the info you have provided, but if a child is allergic to milk and soy, then rice milk is there only alternative for a major source of calcium other than a vitamin and a few vegtables. I am willing to risk the use of an imitation vanila flavoring.

By: admin

admin — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:58:05 +0000

Hi LivinRYT,
I agree with you that looking for substitutes for animal milk is not really the idea here. However, it may interest you to know that rice milk need not be regarded as a substitute for anything. People have been making wonderful beverages from nuts, seeds and grains for centuries, to be enjoyed in their own right. Storing food is also a pretty ancient practice and enables the farmer to sit down in winter and eat after 9 months of work, safe in the knowledge that his cellar is full of carefully stored fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.

After 17 years of eating a vegan diet, the idea of substitutes isn’t one I really think about. Like you, I just enjoy what I eat for its own value, not because it mimics and animal product.

On the other hand, when people are transitioning to a healthier, plant-based diet, substitutes for familiar foods can be helpful to them as they make that important change. In my mind, fake meats and the like fall into that category. They aren’t what I would recommend for a long-term meal plan, but they can help folks to make an important and healthy change in their lives.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

By: LivinRYT

LivinRYT — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:34:00 +0000

Why consume a product with a 1 year shelf life (rice dream)? It just brings deadheadedness.

Savor the blueberries one by one. The notion of believing you have to find a “milk substitute” is not a sound one. Live simple and avoid complicated health issues and keep a clear mind. Dump rice dream in an appropriate recyclable depository. Eat fresh. Liveryt.

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:32:56 +0000

Hi there!
I didn’t realize you wrote back to me, I’m so sorry!
He’s 3 1/2 years old - and once he was off of soy milk, he was a different child completely. If I knew then what I know now about soy, I would have never let a drop pass his lips. Do your research people!
Michelle

By: Natural Flavors at From Jackie Vetter’s Kitchen

Natural Flavors at From Jackie Vetter’s Kitchen — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:42:38 +0000

[…] Jackie had made a post and added a bit about “Natural Flavors”, so I followed the link, read the information, thought it was interesting but couldn’t imagine Jackie posting an “alert” based on just one site. So when I got home I asked her if she was sure she wanted to add the “Natural Flavors” alert until she had time to do a more in depth research and she said “I have, and I find it disturbing.” So, I thought I would make a small post and suggest you look into it and as always read the label and know what you are actually eating. You can begin your research at tangergreen.com. […]