Quorn

[lewburg]

What does everyone think of Quorn products? I've heard mixed reviews and I always get good advice from VB, so let me know what you think.

[Dhatri Goddess]

I enjoyed some of their products while I was transitioning into vegetarianism but gave them up before going vegan because most if not all Quorn products contain eggs and/or dairy.

Its scary to me how "real" their mock chicken nuggets taste! I enjoyed those better than any real chicken nugget I've ever had.
The only other quorn product I liked was the roast. It made for some yummy next day sandwiches!

But hopefully somewhere down the line they with discontinue using eggs and dairy in their products.

[isowish]

Personally, I think they are very tasty. I especially like quorn bacon, but really I've never gone wrong buying any quorn product. I can't remember what they call them, but those things that are kind of like chicken kievs are really nice.

Unfortunately, all quorn products I've seen contain egg :( So they're not suitable for vegans (and even though I'm lacto-ovo, I normally avoid Quorn nowadays in favour of vegan options when I can). If you check the ingredients list, in the UK at least, some of them say 'cage free', but I've heard that this isn't true of the US and other countries.

[bigdufstuff]

They have publicly stated they have no intention of making an eggless version for vegans. They also have been accused of using battery caged hens for their eggs. They have claimed they have no intention of changing their egg source. Meaning they plan to continue using battery caged hens.

Quorn is cruel. I'd stay away from it.

[anthony11]

Even if the products were vegan, they taste like the shrooms from which they're made :spew:

I'll stick with seitan :lick:

[veggie_chilli]

I quite enjoy Quorn, but it's not very vegan friendly :whip: and I think it totally stinks how they have no plans to make a vegan Quorn.

[erineernie]

I used to really like Quorn, especially the tenders to add to things. Eventually their stuff made me feel really sick and have horrible stomach aches. I ended up finding out that their products are made of some gm fungus and lots of people had also gotten really sick from their stuff.

[Eva-bo-beva]

I think its great, especially if you are a vegetarian with a soy allergy. I've never had any stomach problems, or had anyone else i've had try it have a bad experience. Omnis love it. I really don't like the little... tenders maybe? They're plain little bits that youre supposed to cook with other stuff, but its a different odd texture, better left out.

[Sauteedbeans]

I liked the nuggets but just thought it so weird that they can taste so much like real chicken. I stopped eating chicken because one day the taste got to me. Why would I want to eat that again, only fake ones? Got me thinking.

[anatta]

I haven't tried it yet. If you do eat Quorn, be informed - check out Wikipedia's Quorn article(I can't post a link as a new user). Further research on Google has shown that its safety is under dispute. I'm not sure whether the dispute is legitimate, but it's worth considering.

[bigdufstuff]

Since anatta didn't post it I will

here is the wikipedia article on quorn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorn

As of right now it contains the "factual accuracy" tag. I am not sure if it is waranted or not. Still worth the read.

[catgirl67]

I ate a Quorn product once, and had a terrible allergic reaction. It really didn't taste that great either. I'll stick with tofu and seitan thank you!

[Schoska]

UK quorn only uses free range eggs in their products. Strange how there are these international divides.
I like the stuff. I don't use a lot as it is expensive, but I find it incredibly useful and often very tasty.

[anthony11]

UK quorn only uses free range eggs in their products. Strange how there are these international divides.
I like the stuff. I don't use a lot as it is expensive, but I find it incredibly useful and often very tasty.
I suspect that "free range" means as little over there as it does in the US.

[*AHIMSA*]

Okay, so it's genetically modified, made from some odd fungal culture that people often have a negative reaction to and it probably has tortured chicken eggs in it? Sounds like a bad choice indeed :( :spew:

[bluegrrrl79]

Okay, so it's genetically modified, made from some odd fungal culture that people often have a negative reaction to and it probably has tortured chicken eggs in it? Sounds like a bad choice indeed :( :spew:
It's not genetically modified. And I wouldn't say people "often" have a negative reaction. SOME people do. Just like some people have a negative reaction to peanuts or wheat. That doesn't mean those things are bad though.

Personally I like Quorn, it tastes good! It's too bad they don't have any products for vegans though.

[Schoska]

Anthony11, perhaps that's the case but I doubt it. Our veggie society is damn strict about who they endorse and it's only recently that they have said that Quorn has met the criteria.
But to each their own.

[Diana]

Quorn is very popular where I live. There are no negative reports about it. The meat lobby has not got onto it yet to try and prove it's bad. It's a pity there is egg-white in it. I am sure they could find another way to make it stick together.

Here it's not really considered an alternative to meat. It's a food in its own right.

[orangerory]

Center for Science in the Public Interest has some interesting things to say about Quorn:

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

Quorn is the brand name of meat substitutes that are made from a vat-grown fungus. Some people have dangerous allergic reactions to the fungus and suffer nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and occasionally hives or difficulty breathing. Some people react the first time they eat Quorn, while some react only after building up a sensitivity.

Medical studies have proven that Quorn's fungal ingredient is an allergen, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency still allow its sale. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit food-safety organization based in Washington, D.C., has heard from more than 600 consumers in Europe and the United States who have suffered reactions to Quorn.

Despite what some of the manufacturer's (Marlow Foods) marketing materials indicate, the fungus used in Quorn is only distantly related to mushrooms, truffles, or morels. While all are members of the fungus kingdom, Quorn is made from a less appetizing fungus (or mold) called Fusarium venenatum.

CSPI urges consumers to avoid Quorn and urges natural-foods retailers like Whole Foods not to sell this product that is dangerous to sensitive individuals. Consumers who have experienced adverse reactions to Quorn may report them here.

[Diana]

That's weird.

I've never heard of reports like that and where I live, the food regulations are so strict, I can't see how they would have allowed it under such conditions.

I dunno... I still suspect some kind of lobbying from the meat market. They do the same thing with soy products - try and prove that soy is evil.

[bigdufstuff]

It's not genetically modified.

Then explain why they hold patents on the organism. You can't get patents on naturally occuring organisms, you have to modify it first.

[Tesseract]

I don't understand the concept of lobbying to ban the sale of Quorn because some people are allergic to the fungus it's made of. Peanuts, dairy, and shellfish are all allergens, and they're not banned. And I suspect a larger percentage of people are allergic to those things. If we banned the sale of everything that someone was allergic to, I doubt there'd be much left. Some people are allergic to avocados. Should we ban those, too?

I like Quorn. A little too much. I have not yet found a satisfactory vegan product to replace it.

[bluegrrrl79]

Medical studies have proven that Quorn's fungal ingredient is an allergen, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency still allow its sale. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit food-safety organization based in Washington, D.C., has heard from more than 600 consumers in Europe and the United States who have suffered reactions to Quorn.
But tons of foods/products can be allergens if you have a sensitivity towards it. My friend used to always carry one of those epi pens because she's allergic to almonds. People can die from nut allergies. Nuts are far more potentially lethel then Quorn!

[Diana]

I don't understand the concept of lobbying to ban the sale of Quorn because some people are allergic to the fungus it's made of. Peanuts, dairy, and shellfish are all allergens, and they're not banned.

Yes. I am puzzled too. It doesn't make sense. Nuts are scary scary scary for people who are allergic to it. They can die very easily.

I know someone who is allergic to apples.

And my naturopath assures me (he gave me some literature to read on it) that some people are allergic to their own ADN!!!!!

[bigdufstuff]

I'm not suggesting the stuff be banned/boycotted based on allergies. I agree that lots of other foods can trigger allergies and can be fatal. So it would seem like a double standard.

I am suggesting that it be banned/boycotted due to the cruelty involved in the product. It IS made with battery caged hen's eggs. Everything involved with those layers is cruel. Many of the products also contain dairy that is derived from cruel practices. The product is derived from cruel practices. Simple as that. Not worth my money and should be illegal (technically I mean the practices should be illegal).