Rice Dream Nondairy Beverages

We wish to correct an error in our article published in the May 2001 issue of the ARCHIVES.¹ In Table 1 and in the "Comment" section, the Rice Dream (Imagine Foods Inc, San Carlos, Calif) product is erroneously referred to as "Rice Dream milk." The term "milk" in this context is highly misleading. Milk usually refers to a protein-rich fluid secreted by female mammals. Rice Dream and other rice-derived beverages are significantly different from milk in having only a miniscule amount of protein per serving. They are inadequate milk substitutes, particularly for infants who obtain most of their protein through milk or other protein-rich liquids. As our article and 2 other recently published reports stress, infants have developed kwashiorkor when their parents mistakenly made this substitution.^2- 3 These products should never be referred to as "milk," but rather as "beverages." Because they are frequently positioned in retail outlets near protein-rich beverages derived from soy, and in many cases near nonrefrigerated forms of cow's milk, consumers need to be aware of this critical nutritional difference.