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Sunday, March 12, 2006

Vitamite Might Not Be Around Any Longer

I've had several people ask me where their Vitamite went.

Vitamite 100 was a non-dairy milk substitute distributed by Diehl Specialties, not to be confused with various vitamin supplements that also used the Vitamite name.

The Vitamite 100 web site is no longer functioning.

I'm taking the product off of my web site unless and until I hear that it's still officially available.

The sad truth probably is that small niche products like this have an extremely difficult time competing for shelf space and simply don't create enough sales to keep them going.

You can check for other similar products on my Nondairy Milk Substitutes page in my Product Clearinghouse.

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29 comments:

Anonymous said...

my daughter will only drink vitamite and now I cant find it.

Anonymous said...

Vitamite is still available, but not in a convenient size. Diehl International will sell it in a 50 lb. package. It cost $180 and ships UPS. Diehl says it will make 60 gallons. It's the perfect size for your fallout shelter. My came a couple of days ago. Here's a link for the direct consumer order form.

http://www.vitamite100.com/Vitamite_100.htm

Anonymous said...

Previously, I made an error in the price. It is only $130. That's much more affordable, but it does come in a 50lb. bag.

Anonymous said...

I work for the company that owns Vitamite. We do not have the packaging equipment in our company anymore, so we must sell the bags to regional dairies who can liquify and package the product for consumers. Go to your local grocery and ask them to carry the product. Hopefully they will listen and get their milk supplier to carry the Vitamite product.

Anonymous said...

I do not know any of the ingredients in vitamite 100 however I was told by my local dairy distributor that they are following the trend and stopping the production of Vitamite 100 due to certain allergins found in vitamite, that of which he could not be specific. I have been drinking Vitamite 100 for over 25 yrs. and find this most upsetting. My local dairy provider informed me that Cereal Match, a product of Albertsons, is very similar too Vitamite.

Steve Carper said...

I'm always very suspicious when a competitor talks about "unidentifiable" allergens.

As the other comments stated, Vitamite was a small nitch product and found it more profitable to concetrate on wholesale rather than retail.

I don't think there's anything more to it than that.

Anonymous said...

I realize that these post are form a while back, but I just purchased a .5 gal of Vitamite from Schnucks for $1.79 a couple of days ago. I live in Central IL. The ingrediences listed are corn syrup solids, sun flower oil w/natural tocopherols, potassium caseinate( a milk derivative), isolated soy protein,tricalcium phosphate, dipotassium phophate, salt, carrageenan mono&digylcerides guar gum, sodium stearolyl lactylate, calcium D-Palmitate, annatto color, pyridoxine hydrochloride, roboflavin, thamine mononitrate, vitamin D3, &B12.

Anonymous said...

As months have gone by My entire Family misses Vitamite VERY, VERY, VERY Much. We have tried other brands such as Lactaid, Dairy Ease, and Silk. Nothing come even close to Vitamite. Since I was very young, Vitamite was taken off the shelf when I was 22. My family wishes that they would bring it back. We are hopeing for it to come back. We are wondering if buy purchasing the bag if it will taste the same...?

Anonymous said...

My sister and I miss Vitamite. This is the only milk sub we found that was good with everything. Please, I haven't had ceral and 'milk' and cookies for so long!!
Anyone know where in El Paso, Texas that we can find some?

Pat g.

Anonymous said...

I LOVED Vitamite and miss it VERY much. I have gotten used to drinking "Silk" now but in my opinion it does not even come close to the taste of Vitamite. I think Vitamite has the closest taste to real milk. Unfortunately Silk must have just had better funding/marketing, etc. behind it so it won out... :(

Anonymous said...

I too am a HUGE fan of vitamite. Having Crohn's disease, I am not able to drink milk, even Lactaid. Soy milk such as Silk, personally, tastes terrible and I'd rather not drink it at all. It's really a bummer that groceries are only willing to sell products whose sales are measured in the thousands per week.

On the bright side- Hood makes a drink called "calorie countdown", which is not the same as Vitamite, but kinda-sorta comes close. I've been able to find it in several stores, and it's the first thing to come along that lets me have cereal without causing pain.

PLEASE BRING BACK VITAMITE!!!

Anonymous said...

BRING BACK VITAMITE

Anonymous said...

Other than the Silk Chocolate, Vitamite is the only soy milk that I like and now I can't find it in my area. I've tryed several others and can't find one that I like. I live in Connelly Springs, NC. If anyone knows where I can get here please post a comment on it. I am lactose intolerant and I need soy milk. Thanks for any help.

Anonymous said...

I just purchased Vitamite in a half gallon size at Price Chopper in Kansas City MO. It was unintentional and not only until I tasted it and notice the difference from real milk did I stop and read the label. It is not that bad!

Anonymous said...

My son and my husband have a milk protein allergy. We have created multiple recipes including ice cream, gravy, cream soup, etc. using Vitamite. Without Vitamite it will strip away all of the foods that they love to eat. Vitamite is the only NON-DAIRY product that you honestly cannot tell it isn't the real thing. We are desperate for Vitamite at our house.

Anonymous said...

My mom and I only drink vitamite and I can't stand the taste of any of those other brands, they either taste like soy or like milk.

Anonymous said...

Vitamite is the only lactose free milk I can drink. I got some last week (May 22nd) This week I tried Walmart, Price Chopper in Blue Springs, MO. Also, I used to get it at Price Chopper in Independenc, Mo I called each location & they all said the same thing that they are unable to get it anymore. I have tried Lactaid & it tasted like the carton I got was spoiled, so I threw it away & have never got any more. Apparenty, there are many people that like Vitamite, so what is the hangup?

Unknown said...

I love Vitamite, I am lactose intolerant and this is the only dairy free product that tastes like milk. Actually my family likes the taste of it better than milk. The only location in our area (west southern Illinois), was Schnucks and now they no longer carry it. Please bring Vitamite back !!!

Anonymous said...

I also live in Lees Summit, MO I miss Vitamite! I checked all the local stores her Price Chopper, Applemarket for weeks I finallly asked a guy in HyVee he told me they no longer carry it but to try Health Wise which I haven't yet! But I am so stuck on Vitamite because I could drink, cook and eat cereal without the tummy ache! I am soooo disappointed PLEASE bring it back! And give a warning next time!

Susan said...

We too have lost the only place we could buy Vitamite. They stopped selling it 3 weeks ago, saying they could no longer get it from the supplier.
It is the best milk substitue we have ever found too, and we will not use any of the others.
Maybe if Vitamite had been able to advertise lots more people would have tried it, but no one I ever talked to had ever heard of it besides the manager of the store when we asked him to keep it it stock for us after we saw it on the shelf 5 years ago and gave it a try.
I really hope they bring it back.

Anonymous said...

I just found another website for my beloved vitamite. They sell a 22.679 kg (about 50 lbs.) bag of vitamite 100 for $55.70. You have to mix it yourself, but I feel that this is much better than not having vitamite at all. My son and I can't have milk in any form, and we miss vitamite terribly. All I can taste when I drink Silk is sugar. I hate it and won't drink it.

Anonymous said...

I forgot to post the website for my comment. This company sells vitamite100 in a 50 lb. bag for $55.70.

http://e-catalog.rusbiz.com/product/1214.html

kimmykaye said...

My husband and I both drank Vitamite for many years. And, our local store doesn't carry it anymore. So, we bought every other kind out there to try and find another one that we like. Now, I understand that it would take some adjustment to another product. But, as most of you are saying, NOTHING comes close to the taste of Vitamite. Everything else has an after taste to us.

So, I just called the "Consumer Affairs Department" at my local store and talked with someone there. She said that they have had several calls about this matter. I said, "I'm sure that you have based on the blog that I am reading." She stated that the "sales just weren't there to justify keeping the product on the shelf." To which I replied, "I find it hard to believe that the sales of Silk, Land O' Lakes, Dairy Ease, etc are so far beyond what Vitamite was that they deserve a spot on the shelf and Vitamite doesn't."

It's just my opinion, but, I don't think we wouid see these types of comments if they removed our other choices from our grocery stores.

Thanks for letting me vent!

Anonymous said...

My son is lactose intolerent. we have tried everything for the last 37 years and Vitamite is the only milk product he could drink that didn't cramp his stomach or cause diahrrea. All the stores stopped carring Vitamite and PF were going to make a substituted compairable.

I have had to drive to all different stores to get their product. Some times as much as 15 miles away. Recently I have had problems with the new product being thick , chalky and nasty.
I have called the company to report this many times. I'm very upset with healthwise milk sub.
It is $2.39 for only one quart twice the price of the Vitamite and poor quality. My son cannot tolerate any of the other milk products . We need quality products. with out doubling the price or poor quality milk.!!!

Anonymous said...

I am Galactosemia. Genically my body can not break down Lactose into Glucose. I have had Vitamite all of my life. It is very hard to drink other soy milk. Please Don't get rid of Vitamite.

Anonymous said...

I guess Vitamite has been around since my son in 1984. His Dr. recommend to stop drinking it because
his Cholesterol was high! ie it contains coconut oil very high in saturated fat!

Anonymous said...

Have you guys tried almond milk? My local Trader Joes has a vanilla flavored almond milk and it tastes very close to vitamite. My parent used to get Vitamite and it reminded me of it instantly.

Unknown said...

I have a milk allergy that caused me to have pneumonia several times when I was a kid. I grew up drinking vitamite and vitarich. Now I just suffer with the after effects when I drink skim milk because I would rather drink that then soy and the other stuff they make now😛

Unknown said...

I had to drink vitamite as a kid and I thought it was disgusting. It tasted like cold chalk water.