Issue 37

Ruomwadee Lakakul, marketing and sales director of 4Care talks about the benefits of Thai hom mali rice and the innovative products that have made their way into Thai hospitals around the country.

Can you tell us something about 4Care?                           
The company was founded in 2003 to create quality health food. Our products are made from Thai rice and we have cereal drinks, rice drinks, a coconut cream alternative and non-dairy cooking cream. We have won the merit award at the Rice Innovation Awards from the Thai Rice Foundation and we are certified by the Thailand Trust Mark.

Why did you choose to use Thai rice as an ingredient?                                                              
For our products, we use organic hom mali rice and rice berry from Yasothon province in the northeastern region. We want to encourage more farmers in Thailand to grow organic rice which is better for the environment and for their health in the long-term. Thai farmers shouldn’t rely on chemicals so much.

Which product is made from brown rice?
Our Balance Organic Rice Drink is made from organic Thai rice. It’s gluten, lactose and soy free; great for people with lots of allergies as it’s free from the top eight allergens.

What is the coconut cream alternative made from?
A lot of Thai food has coconut cream, which can contain up to 95% saturated fat. The coconut cream substitute is a healthy natural cooking cream made from rice bran oil and soy protein. The alternative contains four times less saturated fat than traditional coconut cream and has the right balance of fatty acids as well as antioxidants.

What is the feedback from customers so far?
About 90% of all hospitals in Thailand like Rajavithi Hospital and Phra Mongkut Klao Hospital use our coconut cream alternative for Thai food instead of coconut cream. The alternative cream made from rice has no cholesterol, and is certified by the Thai Heart Foundation and the Faculty of Public Health Mahidol University, that it does not increase the risk of heart disease. We have also had very good feedback about other rice products from pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers because the products have no milk or soy and are gluten-free.

What are your plans for the future?
We are an innovative company so we are looking for other grains that can be used to make healthy food alternatives. Now we export 4Care products to Dubai and we already have the Halal certificate. We have also been contacted by importers in Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. For some countries, rice drinks are quite new to them but they trust in the benefits of hom mali rice because the rice is fragrant and considered to be high-quality.

For more information, visit www.4care.co.th