Postum, once a popular coffee substitute in many Adventist homes, was discontinued more than a decade ago. A new company was formed to bring it back, and a full-page ad will appear next month in the Adventist Review as senior vice president Peter Hwang works to regain the Adventist market.
Good luck with the venture. I would suggest that with $1 million in sales, five employees and the costs of manufacture, distribution and marketing that this business is still in start up phase and requiring the ongoing support of its owners. Hopefully perseverance will deliver the rewards.
In Australia (to my knowledge) we don’t have Postum. But we have Nature’s Cuppa, made of barley, rye, chicory and roasted malted barley (made in Poland of all places). How does it compare? Anyone tried the two?
I grew up without coffee so I don’t appreciate these roasted beverages, coffee or otherwise.
I’ve read some good things about real coffee. Real coffee reduces the risk of colon cancer according to a study in Europe. Real coffee reduces calcification of arteries which reduces the risk of heart conditions. Real coffee also helps to keep you awake when needed.
If Postum has the tast with all new coffee shops opening it may be a winner if marketed properly as an alternative.
I also grew up without coffee. For many years I never even tasted it. I wonder how many young SDA’s nowadays steer clear of coffee for religious reasons? It seems that it is not that health science is against coffee, for the most part, but EGW regards it as a sin.
This is a SDA source. The author states without any medical reference that “caffeine is associated with heart disease.” Thankfully he does not go so far as to call a cup of coffee as EGW says… “Tea and coffee are fostering the appetite which is developing for stronger stimulants, as tobacco and liquor.” “Tea and coffee drinking is a sin, an injurious indulgence, which, like other evils, injures the soul.”
I wonder if the American Heath Ass says? “Whether high caffeine intake increases the risk of coronary heart disease is still under study. Many studies have been done to see if there’s a direct link between caffeine, coffee drinking and coronary heart disease. … However, moderate coffee drinking (1–2 cups per day) doesn’t seem to be harmful.” Aug 17, 2015
When a kid my family adults used both Postum and instant coffee. We kids only had the
Postum or chocolate for hot drinks. Which were OK.
Yes have missed being able to have Postum as an alternative.
What stores in Central Georgia carry the Postum product? Or, do any at this time??
Would like the individual packets to introduce to my Sunday church between services
snack time [tea, coffee].
Frank –
Coffee is usually a hot drink.
Tea can be hot, but probably more COLD Southern Sweet [OR just plain Unsweet] is sold
and made than hot.
Most alcohol drinks are cool, or at least room temp.
I have seen articles that say low-dose caffeine intake for older persons improves brain alertness
and function in this age group. I don’t know if those were scientific studies or if just anecdotal.
HEART DISEASE – did the article say What Kind of heart disease symptoms or conditions?
I have heard of arrythmias with high dose caffeine intake. Possible increase in blood pressure,
heart rate. BUT some of that might be the amount of milligrams of caffeine ingested per day.
It has been noticed that some of the natural chemicals [put there by God] in chocolate can
have a therapeutic effect on the brain tissue, and hormone production there.
I notice that here in Georgia it is ONLY in Ingle’s so far.
Need Kroger on the list!!
Need Wal-Mart!!
Then the dollar stores – Dollar Store, Dollar General, Dollar Tree.
With an estimated 5 million Americans suffering from atrial fibrillation, and with caffeine included among other triggers of AF in those susceptible to AF attacks, there may be interest in Postum among that growing crowd.
My dad drank Roma every morning throughout my whole childhood. I tried it once as a kid but was not impressed! I’ve never heard any other Adventists mention it before; everyone else seems firmly in the Postum camp! Speaking of which, I picked up a jar of Postum the other day from the natural foods market next to Andrews University. They had all 3 varieties available for $9.99 each. I went with the original flavor but haven’t given it a try yet. The memory of that sip of Roma is still too strong…
YES! ROMA every morning here, in soy milk, with a little bag of Truvia. So good that I have seconds (and thirds…) later on during the day.
Postum is good too. Go for it, open that damn thing and enjoy it!
But beware of the Possums…
“First, Adventists historically used Postum as a coffee substitute; it was invented for that purpose in 1895 by W.C. Post, the breakfast-cereal magnate who learned some of Kellogg’s secrets at the Battle Creek Sanitarium. The product still exists but, according to the FDA, powdered Postum [“Postum Original Caffeine Free Instant Hot Beverage” (powdered, not brewed)] is by far the worst acrylamide offender, with 5,399 parts per billion. The acrylamide is produced because molasses is added to wheat bran and wheat which are then roasted to make Postum.”
Would someone in the know, perhaps Peter Hwang, comment on the claim that the roasting process in making Postum causes unhealthy amounts of the substance acrylamide to be produced? I had heard this claim made and after reading this interesting article, Googled “Postum.” Interestingly enough one of the articles listed was published on “Fulcrum 7.” It is quoted above.There were other articles listed that claimed the FDA studied acrylamide levels in different foods and found high levels in Postum. (My wife recently snatched up a number of bottles of Postum at the local food salvage store. Previously, she had to order it online.)