Rice Vegan "Cheese" Blocks

Galaxy Nutritional Foods is one of the major names in the alternative "cheese" market. They make both soy-based cheese alternatives and rice-based cheese alternatives. These came in two varieties, by the way, one vegan and one non-vegan.

Why is this? The stumbling point for most vegan attempts to make a cheese substitute is that is doesn't melt properly. You need milk proteins to do that. The non-vegan alternatives from Galaxy have casein proteins added to give them the cheesy properties that many people prefer.

That makes these alternatives taboo for those with milk protein allergies, even though they are still lactose free and therefore acceptable for those of us with lactose intolerance. This is the correction I made of a newspaper article the last time I wrote about Galaxy.



Galaxy's big new news is that in addition to offering their Rice Vegan cheese slices in three flavors - American, Cheddar, and Pepper Jack - they are also introducing Rice Vegan blocks.

From the press release:

For the first time, vegan consumers now have a soy- and dairy-free block option in the cheese alternative section of natural foods stores – and they won’t have to sacrifice melt or taste. Galaxy Nutritional Foods, Inc., with leading cheese alternative brands Veggie, Rice, Vegan and Rice Vegan, is continuing to redefine the category with the introduction of Rice Vegan blocks – a rice-based alternative perfect for vegans or those with soy or dairy allergies.

While many vegan foods tend to be high in soy, Rice Vegan blocks offer an easy way for vegans to moderate or avoid soy in their diets and still enjoy a cheesy taste and melt. Not only are Rice Vegan blocks soy- and casein-free, they are also free of gluten, preservatives, cholesterol and trans fat. These blocks feature 55 percent organic ingredients, a smooth melt and are available in Mozzarella and Cheddar flavors.

And that's not all. The rest of their lines are New and Improved! (The press release actually uses that fantastically old and derided cliché "new and improved." Imagine. Press release writers get paid for their work. It's almost unbelievable.)

As a result of the overwhelmingly positive feedback received from consumers surrounding the recent relaunch of Galaxy’s Rice brand products with new ingredients and an improved taste, Galaxy began to similarly update all of its cheese alternative products. With this update, Galaxy’s Vegan and Veggy brand products now feature a new organic-soy base, and Rice Vegan Slices now have an organic-rice base. Galaxy also just relaunched its Veggie brand products, the No. 1 soy-based cheese alternative available in grocery stores, with similar improvements.

To support Galaxy’s new and improved product launches, GalaxyFoods.com has been redesigned. The new Web site incorporates the Galaxy brands’ new look and feel, and is coupled with increased functionality, as well as a focus on additional content including recipes, company news and healthy eating tips.

The new Rice Vegan blocks and other new and improved Galaxy products will debut with newly designed packaging later this year. Galaxy’s cheese alternatives can be found in the cheese alternative section of natural foods stores nationwide.