Elimination diets, increasing scrutiny over the dairy industry and environmental concerns have all contributed to a monumental shift away from dairy. While some dairies have folded under the change in consumer demand, Henry Schwartz made the bold decision to close the doors to his family’s 95-year-old dairy and shift to completely plant-based alternatives. The market has become increasingly saturated with dairy alternatives since the ’90s, but plant-based beverage pioneer and original Rice Dream creator Dr. Cheryl Mitchell and converted dairyman Henry Schwartz joined forces on something unique.
A majority of other plant milks on the market today still follow a permutation of the first successful mass-market brand of non-dairy milk, Rice Dream. With mostly water and only a small amount of the actual ingredient, they require a concoction of gums and emulsifiers to bind the liquid together. Twenty years ago, it was a feat just to make a plant-based liquid worthy of pouring over cereal, which is what made Rice Dream such a breakthrough success. But Mitchell anticipated the rise in demand for cleaner labels and whole foods. This led her to devote two decades to developing the unique HydroRelease™ method, which liberates the nutrients from nuts, grains and seeds simply through water, thus preserving the nutritional profile of the fats, proteins and fibers. The technology then recombines the nutrients into a naturally creamy emulsion without any added gums, emulsifiers or other fillers.