Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss: Our New Milk Sub

When I found out that my old standby milk substitute, Living Harvest Hempmilk, was run on shared equipment with soy beverages (more HERE), I went looking for a new milk sub.

UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE
(Aug. 1, 2008) I had a lovely conversation with Autumn at Manitoba Harvest yesterday. She took the time to explain in detail their process for making their Hemp Bliss. Our discussion taught me many new things that I wanted to share with you all. But to make sure I don't mess up any of the information, I invited Autumn to be a guest poster here. Read her post by clicking HERE.

While I'm sure the Living Harvest people follow strict allergen control procedures, I've learned over the past 9 months or so that my son reacts to residual/trace amounts of soy in products. And I had definitely noticed that he seemed to like the Living Harvest a bit *too* much -- as in the way he seems to like ANYTHING *too* much if it has residual gluten, casein, or soy.

The first place I went to look was Manitoba Harvest, who also makes hempmilk. We had tried their hempmilk before and were not happy with the taste. I communicated back and forth with the company (AWESOME group of people, by the way), and here's what I have learned:

Reformulated Taste!
Manitoba Harvest changed their taste profile on their Hemp Bliss hempmilk in May 2008. The new stuff tastes much better (I have tried it). This means that if you already bought some, and the "best by" date on the top is anything BEFORE May 2009, you have the old version. And if you are going out to try to find it at a store, look for the ones that are "best by" dated ON or AFTER May 2009. Those are the new, better tasting ones.

Discontinued at Whole Foods
The Mid-Atlantic Region (where I am) of Whole Foods Market has discontinued Manitoba Harvest's hempmilk and will no longer sell it on their shelves. (That is why you will find it on sale right now if you live in the Mid-Atlantic region.) Whole Foods Market made the decision to discontinue the Manitoba hempmilk BEFORE they even bothered to try the reformulated taste. (So the ones you can buy on sale are the old versions.) However, most Whole Foods Markets still carry other Manitoba Harvest products (like their hemp protein powder), so you can talk to somebody at Whole Foods and special order a case of the hempmilk.

*NO* Allergens or Cross-Contamination Issues
This is from their website (HERE), and I have confirmed it with their staff:

Manitoba Harvest™ owns and operates a hemp dedicated facility where no other ingredients touch our machinery. We do not carry an allergen disclaimer on our labels because there is no chance for contamination.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss contains no synthetic flavors, vitamins, minerals, additives, or preservatives. It is gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, nut-free, and rice-free.

It's Organic
Manitoba Harvest's hempmilk is made from organic hemp seeds and pure organic ingredients. (The other hempmilk, Living Harvest, is not organic.)

Omega 3-6-9 Essential Fats
Manitoba Harvest's hempmilk has 1,200 mg of Omega 3, 4,000 mg of Omega 6, and 1,000 mg of Omega 9. This is great! (Living Harvest was about half of that.)

Protein
All flavors of Hemp Bliss have 5 grams of digestible protein per serving. (Living Harvest has 4 grams.)

The Sugar Issue
Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss is sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice (not brown rice syrup like Living Harvest).

New Unsweetened Version
They also came out with an UNSWEETENED version that has the following ingredients: filtered water, organic hemp seeds, xanthum gum, and sea salt. It has 1 gram of total carbs. This means that you could get the unsweetened version and sweeten it yourself with agave or whatever you like to use.

The Calcium Issue
One reason I loved Living Harvest was because it had 40% of a day's worth of calcium. The Manitoba Harvest only has 2% (chocolate version has 4%). I asked if they were considering adding calcium to the hempmilk, and they said no, they don't have plans for that right now. The more I think about it, though, I think that's good. I rather they not put extra stuff in there and run the risk of introducing new allergens or other issues when they've got such a sweet thing going now.

Where To Buy
While I know that Hemp Bliss is discontinued in Mid-Atlantic Region Whole Foods Stores, I don't know about the rest of the country. (Remember, though, to check that the "best by" date is ON or AFTER May 2009.) You also can order Hemp Bliss direct from Manitoba Harvest via their website (click HERE). They ship to both Canada and the United States. Shipping is free if you order $100 or more of products (about 20 cartons of Hemp Bliss). They are shelf-stable, so buying in bulk might be a good option.

I hope this helps somebody! Please post a comment and let me know what you think.