3 Unrelated Questions

[Gentleheart]

I asked some questions about rice milk in another post recently. But interest seems to have ended and I need one more question answered as definitively as possible.

1.For most of you on this board, IS or IS NOT the notorious Rice Dream milk OK for gluten intolerant people? They say gluten free boldly on the label. What's your verdict?

2.Where can I buy HIGH quality unsweetened baking chocolate WITHOUT anything added - no soy lecithin, no sugar, no milk products, no vanilla, no nothing. I make my own chocolate with Hershey's baking chocolate and agave syrup. But I suspect that it would taste better with a higher quality chocolate. Can you make chocolate with an allergy free high quality cocoa, cocoa butter and agave syrup? Anybody done it successfully?

3. I got taken by a company in Canada called Crystalline Solutions. They never sent me my rather large online order for sunflower lecithin. They refuse to answer me or Pay Pal. Anybody know anything about them?

THANKS!

[Rachel--24]

Its my understanding that Rice Dream is not safe for people who are adhering to a strict gluten-free diet. It is not gluten free (it contains barley).

[Rachel--24]

Here is the company's statement regarding their use of the words "gluten-free" on their product.

Dear Customer,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding our Rice Dream Beverage. We apologize for the delay in our reply and appreciate your patience. We strive to maintain the highest quality products and we appreciate your patronage.

Analytical testing methods and detection limits have improved over the years. Recent testing shows that the Rice Dream Beverages (as well as the barley protein used to make the product) meet gluten free requirements. This has probably been true historically, however analytical testing methods did not permit us to make this claim. We have always maintained a conservative stance regarding gluten in the beverages. The same rigorous standards now allow us to declare them gluten free. The formula and processing methods for Rice Dream beverages have not changed. Each batch will be tested appropriately.

Thank you for your continued support. If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us at 1-800-434-4246, Monday through Friday from 7AM - 5PM Mountain Time.

Sincerely,

Consumer Relations Representative

Alot of people do react to the trace amounts of gluten in Rice Dream.

[jerseyangel]

I asked some questions about rice milk in another post recently. But interest seems to have ended and I need one more question answered as definitively as possible.

1.For most of you on this board, IS or IS NOT the notorious Rice Dream milk OK for gluten intolerant people? They say gluten free boldly on the label. What's your verdict?

2.Where can I buy HIGH quality unsweetened baking chocolate WITHOUT anything added - no soy lecithin, no sugar, no milk products, no vanilla, no nothing. I make my own chocolate with Hershey's baking chocolate and agave syrup. But I suspect that it would taste better with a higher quality chocolate. Can you make chocolate with an allergy free high quality cocoa, cocoa butter and agave syrup? Anybody done it successfully?

3. I got taken by a company in Canada called Crystalline Solutions. They never sent me my rather large online order for sunflower lecithin. They refuse to answer me or Pay Pal. Anybody know anything about them?

THANKS!

1- I have spoken to the people at the company that makes Rice Dream Milk--the product is processed with barley, as it always has been. They can now label it gluten-free because of the small percentage, but it truly is not gluten-free. Pacific is very good and safe

2- I use Nestle Pure Cocoa Powder. I don't use solid baking chocolate, but I'm sure someone who does will let you know what they use.

3- I've never dealt with Crystalline Solutions......gosh, that's terrible.

[Mother of Jibril]

What about using a 100% unsweetened cocoa powder? I don't know if you can find chips or a bar with no other ingredients to hold the chocolate together. Even Sharffen Berger's 99% baking chocolate has soy lecithin. The natural foods co-op in my town carries powder from, Rapunzel, Dagoba, and Green & Black's. My husband likes to use it to make hot chocolate... he sweetens with condensed milk, but of course you could use agave or stevia.

[Gentleheart]

What about using a 100% unsweetened cocoa powder? I don't know if you can find chips or a bar with no other ingredients to hold the chocolate together. Even Sharffen Berger's 99% baking chocolate has soy lecithin. The natural foods co-op in my town carries powder from, Rapunzel, Dagoba, and Green & Black's. My husband likes to use it to make hot chocolate... he sweetens with condensed milk, but of course you could use agave or stevia.

Thanks for all the replies. Making hot chocolate or even bakery goods with cocoa are not the challenge for me at this point. I have found pretty good cocoa that is free from all the things I can't have. But I crave a good creamy piece of dark chocolate in bar form. I can't have dairy,cane sugar, gluten, soy or corn. So there is virtually no prepared commercial chocolate bar I know of which meets all those requirements simultaneously. I've been making my own and hoping that I could trust Hershey's to be JUST PLAIN UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE. The label says it is, but of course that sometimes means nothing. I was just looking to step up a little to a higher grade of chocolate if I could. But most of the ones I have checked are fine on everything else except they ALWAYS have soy lecithin. I read somewhere that you could make a piece of firm chocolate by adding back the cocoa butter into a good cocoa powder and sweetening it with agave syrup. But I have never found a recipe or anyone who knew how. Making chocolate from scratch from nibs is interesting, but very expensive since it requires special equipment.

Thanks Rachel and JerseyAngel for the final word on Rice Dream. I just needed to know the truth. I will continue to try to find a store which carries Pacific.

The Crystalline Solutions company actually sent me one email when my order hadn't come for 2 months saying that they had a personal family tragedy and that is why the order hadn't come. They promised it was being sent as we speak, along with a special thank you gift for my trouble. That was another 2 months ago. I was perfectly willing to believe them if it were true. But obviously it is not, since their website is still up and running and continuing to boldly advertise their wares. Take a look. www.crystallinesolutions.com I asked on the board once before and didn't get alot of response. No one seemed to have ever heard of them. I just thought I'd try one more time to see if someone else, even possibly someone from Canada, might know something about them. Pay Pal could do nothing and I haven't gone through the tedious process of trying to get my credit card company to reverse the charges. It's been a long time now. Way back in June. I'll probably just have to let it go.