WHETHER you’ve tucked into it at dinner time or not, you will definitely have heard of Quorn.
The meat substitute, which is popular with vegetarians and some meat eaters, and can be used to create tasty dishes for the entire family. But what is it made from?
What is Quorn and what is it made from?
As you know, Quorn is a meat substitute that is popular with vegetarians and also many meat eaters.
Originally launched in 1985 by Marlow foods, the product is primarily made from an edible fungus called mycoprotein. The mycoprotein makes up around 92 per cent of the Quorn.
Other key ingredients include:
- Rehydrated Free Range Egg White
- Natural Caramelised Sugar
- Firming Agents: Calcium Chloride, Calcium Acetate
- Gluten Free Barley Malt Extract
In most Quorn products, the fungus is dried before being mixed with the egg white, which is there to act as a binder.
The meat-substitute can then be adjusted in texture and pressed into various forms.
Quorn also offers an additional vegan product, which uses potato protein to bind, rather than egg white.
But, perhaps surprisingly, in 2014, it was reported that most consumers of Quorn are meat eaters rather than vegetarians.
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Is mycoprotein safe?
Mycoprotein is a great source of lean protein and is cholesterol free. However, there has been much debate over how “safe” the product is.
In the past, many consumers claimed to have experienced symptoms such as nausea and allergic reactions from mycoprotein products.
But in 2002, in the US, the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban mycoprotein, including Quorn, because of complaints they were receiving.
However, David Wilson, from Quorn US, stated that these claims were “inaccurate” and that the products were thoroughly tested and approved by the relevant regulatory bodies in each country that it is sold.
In the UK, The Vegetarian society initially disapproved of Quorn because of the use of battery eggs during the production process.
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But Quorn later changed to using free-range eggs instead and the society have since given their stamp of approval.
The Quorn website states that “people who are known to have an adverse reaction to fungi should avoid Mycoprotein.”
