Hi,

Can someone please explain to me what Quorn is and why its so bad? I Googled it so I know that it is a type of fungus made into fake meat but aside from being a little gross what is wrong with that? I eat mushrooms afterall. Is there some part of the process that makes it unappealing?

Casey

I'm not a vegetarian, so I don't normally post here. Therefore, I may have missed when/where someone said Quorn was "bad." I love it, I eat it, and it's a great source of protein. You can't even tell it's mushroom/fungi. I've heard things like "make sure you cook it well," but other than that, why do you say "it's so bad?" What have you heard?

I think there was a post on this board and I know there was one on another veggie website that didn't specifically say it was BAD but left me with the impression that it made the poster ill or at least the idea of it made them ill. So that's why I ask.

I'll look now to see if I can find the post that made me ask so I can link to it. Maybe it was just my imagination and thats not what they meant? I don't really have a problem with it being a fungus and I was actually thinking of trying to find some the next time I'm in the city.

Thanks for your response!

Casey

Hi Casey ,

I seriously think it is ABSOLUTELY delicious!!! I eat it probably 3 times a week. My friend's daughter (she's 11) is a vegetarian, and he makes it for her all the time. He never wanted to tell her it was mushroom/fungi, though, because he was afraid she'd never eat it again . And then her older brother told her and she didn't believe him! It was hilarious. I STILL don't think she believes it .

I'll be interested to see that post you were talking about .

Well I can't find the post that made me ask the question in the first place so I decided to google "quorn complaints" and this is the first link you get...

http://www.cspinet.org/quorn/

It claims that quorn is an allergen and that 5% of people who eat it have a bad reaction to it. Which I guess if you are part of the 5% is a bad thing, but I really don't see how that is different than peanut butter since a lot of people are very allergic to peanuts and yet they are still sold. I wonder if 5% is a high number in terms of allergic reactions to other foods?

Maybe I'll try it but be sure to have the benedryl on hand

I guess any time you try a new food the potential for allergic reaction is there.

Looks like I didn't need to ask this question afterall...just needed to do a little more research. But thank you, Kate, for your input...I'm going to take your word that its good and give it a try if I can find some.

Casey

The only negative thing I have heard about Quorn is that it isn't suitable for vegans, as it contains lactose and milk proteins. I personally don't like it much, it's a texture thing, but the flavour is ok. For the record, I suffer from various allergies, but Quorn didn't do anything to me!

Yeah, it's interesting about the allergy thing. I am HORRENDOUSLY allergic to mold spores, which is the connection someone made in that link Casey gave (there was an article saying that people with mold spore allergies get hideously ill after eating Quorn). I've been eating Quorn regularly -- 3 times a week or more -- for 3 years and have never had a problem. The CSPI is basing all their anti-Quorn stuff on 250 people who got sick, which is a heck of a small number considering it's been on the market in the UK for something like 20 years (and just about everyone I know in the UK eats it).

I'm sure there ARE people who have allergic reactions to it, but that's the same with pretty much every food.

But I'll be sure to let everyone know if I get violently ill from it. Ever .

uhg...ive eaten it before..taste is ok....nice really...but i looked it up online..and after reading some of what i read..i couldnt stand to stomache it anymore...grosses me out to even think about it..its basically just mold.
if you like it and dont have a reaction to it..then eat it..but for me..after reading up on it..i cant really stand it X_x

much rather have boca, morningstar, tofurky and light life

OK, people, any recipes?

When I buy the breaded Quorn cutlets or nuggets, I just eat them as they are. They're very yummy without having to do anything to them.

When I lived in the UK, all the Quorn was (LOL) "naked" without the breading. I haven't been able to find that version in the States yet. But in the UK, I used to just do to Quorn whatever I would do to chicken. You can slice up the cutlets and put them in a stir-fry (cook them first). I've even made a Quorn curry before (Indian food). Use your imagination! Just -- like I said -- cook it before you use it in a recipe.

In the UK you can get Quorn mince, in cubes and a lovely big roll (like a big sausage) that you roast in the oven. It takes around an hour or maybe more so just like a roast. There are also slices (like ham or chicken), pate. Also fillets (like chicken) in breadcrumbs or batter or a lovely sauce and curries too. Oh and sausages. I love the sausages. Most things unless already made up into a recipe will need flavouring of some sort.


Try http://www.quorn.com/ for recipes - just click on your country.

So now the problem is they don't have it in my grocery store. Not really surprising...they don't really have "alternative" foods...even things like brown rice or loose tea. Looks like I'll have to wait til we hit the city. Although thinking about the allergy stuff makes me a little hesitant to feed it to my husband since he is allergic to everything and will just randomly breakout in red spots. I'm already responsible for an allergic reaction that sent him to the hospital overnight...we don't need to add another one of those to my record .

But I guess when people start spreading rumors about a product thats exactly the way they want people to think. Really with the number of reported reactions I don't think you would find much of a difference in a control group. Just me being paranoid I guess.

Casey

There was a topic about this on one of the vegetarian groups in Live Journal. If anyone wants, I will share the articles...

but there were some studies done which showed that many people are in fact allergic to the fungus that is used in Quorn. There was also some concern about product misrepresentation in that Quorn is not at all made of a "mushroom", but it's made of a fungus that grows in the ground... and that they just say it's a mushroom to avoid people's negative reactions to hearing the term "fungus"...

I think that the allergy thing ought to be dealt with by posting some sort of disclaimer or warning on the packaging and also by not misrepresenting what the substance is and finding some other non-threatening way to describe it.

I've tried Quorn myself (when I wasn't trying to be vegan), and I enjoyed it...

I have another question, though...

Has anyone ever tried this stuff called "Veat" (not the hair removal product, it's a food)? or something like that... I think that IS vegan, and I thought it tasted pretty eerily close to what chicken and other meats tasted like... anyone know what that's made of? TVP?

It's not vegan and is made of isolated soy protein and whey. It tastes quite good and for those who aren't vegan, it's a great choice.

Alright, I was not sure. Thanks for clarification.