A New Fungus Among Us Health Article

Move over veggie burgers, another meat substitute has pushed its way into the frozen section of natural-foods stores. After more than 17 years on the European market, Quorn (pronounced kworn), a fungus-derived faux meat is available in the United States.

The odd name fits Quorn’s odd origins. Back in 1967, scientists discovered the mycoprotein Fusarium venenatum growing in the soil of a wheat field in Buckinghamshire, England. Although remotely related to mushrooms (as in a third cousin twice removed), Fusarium venenatum looks more like a pink fuzz of fine filaments. In fact, some researchers claim that the term "mold" identifies it more aptly than fungus or mushroom. Marlow Foods, a British food manufacturer, processes the mycoprotein by fermenting it in large tanks with oxygen, nitrogen and sugar to produce a low-fat, protein-dense meat substitute named after the village of Quorn in the English Midlands. Dressed up as chicken-style nuggets, cutlets and tenders, and used to replace beef in lasagna and stir-fries, the fake meat has won a strong following in Europe.

Quorn’s welcome by the American public, however, has been less universally friendly. The mushroom establishment, including veggie-burger makers, wants no part of Quorn. Recently the consumer advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the FDA to recall Quorn because it reportedly has caused a number of allergic reactions, including vomiting and diarrhea, possibly a response to molds or proteins to which the public has had little previous exposure. But David Wilson, general manager of Quorn Foods, says that the allergies occurred in just one in 146,000 consumers in the year 2000—an incidence much lower than that found in common foods like shellfish and soy.

In a highly unscientific taste test, the EatingWell staff sampled some "chicken" cutlets, purchased from the frozen-foods section of a local natural-foods market and baked for 20 minutes. Once people had come to terms with the unusual name and its fungal origins, they agreed that the tender, moist, subtly flavored Quorn wasn’t bad for a meat substitute. Quipped one taster: "Better than a tofu pup."

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