Rich Products Buys Gluten-Free Manufacturer

You probably know Rich Products as the maker of those stalwarts of the non-dairy creamer business, Coffee Rich and Farm Rich. Coffee Rich®, the nation’s first frozen non-dairy creamer, was introduced way back in 1961, and was the first product I added to my diet when I found I out was lactose intolerant back in 1978.

(No, you're not crazy. You won't find a direct reference to either product on the Rich's website. A rep told me many months ago that they were in the process of redoing the website, but that will probably happen about the same time my redesign of my website happens. BTW, if you can't find Coffee Rich locally, you can order it through amazon.com.)

Anyway, those two products are tiny flecks in the bigger picture. Rich Products is a big-time foodservice giant that's about to get bigger. They've announced that they've acquired GLP Free Manufacturing, a Grand Island-based firm that specializes in producing gluten-free baked goods.

An article in Buffalo Business First adds the details that make this exciting news:

GLP has carved a niche by manufacturing such gluten-free products as sandwich rolls, individually packaged frozen brownies, cookies and other snack items.

"This partnership provides Rich's with access to high-quality, gluten, lactose, trans-fat and peanut-free bakery items tailored for people with Celiac disease," [said Bill Gisel, Rich's president and chief executive officer.]

In time this should make gluten-free products available to more people in more places. When I remember back to 1978 and how few dairy-free products I could find, I cheer at any increase in quality goods for those of us with special diets.