Soy-Doh, a Gluten-free Play-Doh Alternative
by Desmond Williams, 01/17/09
“Like so much about college, it started with beer.” That’s the funny first line of the recent New York Times article on Soy-Doh, a gluten-free alternative to the Hasbro-made, children’s favorite Play-Doh. Parents with children intolerant to wheat will tell you that their best option is to steer clear of the conventional squishy stuff, or risk allergic reaction.
So what does any of this have to do with beer? Well, it all began when a professor at Purdue University mentioned that he couldn’t imbibe frothy ales, for he was allergic to their main ingredient – wheat. A few of his agricultural economics students retreated to their kitchen in order to whip-up a batch of wheat-free beer, and possibly up their grades at the same time.
But what the students concocted looked more like Play-Doh than beer. And one student, Sawyer Sparks (whose early packaging concept is shown above), decided it would be a great idea to market the stuff. As Play-Doh has been entertaining creative minds since 1956, the Hasbro website clearly states that “children who are allergic to wheat gluten may have an allergic reaction to this product.”
You’ll need to be a bit industrious to get your hands on a tub of Spraks’ Soy-Doh, as the product is not yet on the market and the manufacturer’s website is still “under construction.” Still, you can make like a Bravia bunny (above) and hop to it, by ordering batches at Sawyers’ other website.
[...] via Inhabitots and the New York [...]