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I have been eating Quorn stating to everyone how healthy it is compared to meat. I struggle eating meat so this seemed like a fantastic alternative. Not so sure now. May have to stop recommending this from now on. Thank you for the heads up.
Hi James, thanks for your comment, I am glad this post has made you rethink. I believe the “healthy” label on Quorn is very questionable and we shouldn’t blindly believe everything we get sold. It’s all about balance and even if you still choose to eat Quorn from time to time, at least you know what you are eating now. Good luck! :)
A lot of people have allergic reactions to mycoprotein. I tried their meatless chicken nuggets and I got really sick. It was like I had food poisoning. After researching online I found out that my reaction was pretty mild compared to what could have happened.
You’re view seems to be a little on the harsh side, and lots of your comments seem to revolve around the feeling that it’s a bit “icky”.
Holding up the definition on the mycoprotein website to contempt is particularly unfair. That is an honest attempt to convey information to the consumer – they aren’t trying to make it sound nice.
If the meat trade honestly described their factory processes to the consumer (the antibiotics, hormones etc) it would sound altogether unappealing.
I do agree that beans or quinoa would be a healthier choice, but I guess this food is an occasional substitute for the meat eater looking to cut saturated fats and boost fibre, or to satisfy a vegetarian dinner guest.
When you say there have been “numerous” bad reactions, that number is about 2,000. In the context of many millions of consumers that isn’t statistically that important. Compare with the rampant cardio problems and other issues derivative of processed meats and it’s even less significant.
Hey Adam, thanks for taking the time to comment. I may sound harsh, but my point is simple: know your food and don’t always trust what you are told. Nothing would be a problem if it’s eaten occasionally and in moderation, Quorn as well. However I have met people who have pretty much adopted a Quorn diet, eating their products on a daily basis, strongly believing they are healthy, because they were told so on TV.
I agree with you that the meat industry is horrible as well and I have shared my thoughts on this here in the Meat guide. It’s absolutely fantastic that consumers are looking for more meat-free food, but not all vegetarian food is healthy.
Regarding your comment about the consumers that have had bad reactions to Quorn, keep in mind that these are only the reported ones, but that’s not that most important part of the post.
The dose makes the poison.
Hi Clayton, that is a favourite saying of mine, it’s very true. It’s important to know what you are eating so you can decide on the dose. :)
I have had an allergic reaction to Quorn meatless chicken nuggets. It was similar to having food poisoning. This was the first time I had tried their products. If I had known that allergic reactions were fairly common with mycoprotein, I would have been more cautious. There was an allergy warning on the box (that I found afterward) but it was very small and extremely vague. I think they should have a more visible warning, especially since mycoprotein isn’t well known as an allergen.
I have to question your statement that, ” …meat is much healthier and more natural than quorn…” Most people eat meat from animals raised in the industrialized factory farming system. Nothing either natural or healthy about that industry. I appreciate your message regarding knowing your food and choosing unprocessed foods over processed whenever possible.
Hi Kendra, I completely agree with you. I don’t think it’s very clear in this article that I am not a supporter of the meat industry. Only certain meat qualifies as healthy and it’s important that if we decide to eat it, we only do it occasionally and we cook it in a certain way. This is why I have decided to update the article a bit and I added a link to another page where I talk more about this. Thanks for your comment!
Hi after reading youre mail l will defiantly look at an alternative as lm delivering classes in healthy living and eating l was using quorn in wraps as an alternative to chicken with salad and Cajun seasoning any suggestions would be gratefully received
Hi John, thank you for your comment. If you are looking to replace the chicken with a high-protein vegetarian alternative there are lots of options like different bean or lentil patties, falafels or for example quinoa patties. In addition you can add some roasted vegetables like aubergines or beetroot. Hope this helps, good luck!
I stumbled across this article whilst my partner was concerned over what quorn actually is and does. Firstly I have to ask what your credentials are in critiquing a product in he first place? Because being a food blogger in my book wouldn’t seem to be sufficient to scare people from, or conversely promote a product.
Did some research of my own around this, all readily available information from multiple sources. Seems quorn has had a bad rep, disliked by USA companies for its competition to one of their own brands, garedenburger. The reason is because it was advertised as a mushroom based product when actually it’s a fungus based product, Joe Public though probably can’t discern the difference though so I can understand that. The FDA (American version of the food standards agency) gave it GRAS (generally regarded as safe). I take anything the FDA approves with a pinch of salt considering things like twinkies are considered safe for consumption, as is meat from CAFO’s, Google those.
Quorn itself admits that people react badly to their food sometimes, their own stats say 0.0007%, while the American authorities say 4.5%. It’s more likely to the quite below 1% given the previous disputes from American perspective as i mentioned. Reactions include bad stomachs, diarrhoea, headaches, allergic reactions. Sounds scary. Well you can die from a anaphylactic reaction to nuts and don’t see nuts being criticised for being a Frankenfood. I get a bloated stomach if I eat shortbread, people react badly to gluten. You just avoid it if you know it’s not good for you. Don’t see products with gluten being taken off the shelves.
I see from many places scare stories about quorn, seems that’s all they are though.
Hi Matt, thanks for your extensive comment on this subject. In regards to your question about my credentials, there are no credentials needed to express an opinion based on personal experience and share findings on some basic research. This is what a food blogger does basically and the post is not anonymous so anyone can see who wrote it. I am a believer in real food and Quorn products do not fit with the philosophy of this site, which aims to educate consumers about “healthy” products like these. This is not a scare story, nothing bad happens at the end, it’s just a recommendation to always question what we are sold and to look closer at what the product is made of.
I think that the point here is that a deception has taken place. When quorn first came on the market they had a cosy little story to accompany its launch, which if I remember rightly went something like a new type of mushroom was discovered in a field, outside Milton Keynes or somewhere which is what quorn was based on. I did always wonder how this one mushroom could be feeding millions of people now! I recently asked a knowledgeable healthfood shop owner near to me about it and was told it was produced synthetically in a laboratory.
If you look on some of the products now-it could be the pepper steaks they have down that quorn is mycroprotein/Mold.
Would anyone have bought it reading that when it first came out and can it be healthy given what processes it must go through to get to the finished product. Does anyone remember the film Soylent Green with Charlton Heston?
Although there may not be anything wrong with eating mold It is the trust and fabrication at issue here so I won’t be eating this stuff, what ever it is, again.
Hi David, yes, exactly my point. Any “Food” that needs that much processing and fabrication to be eaten can’t be referred to as “healthy”! Thanks for your comment!
“Any “Food” that needs that much processing and fabrication to be eaten can’t be referred to as “healthy””
Can you justify why it can’t be referred to as healthy? And please leave out the vague “Oh well lots of chemicals and bad things have been put into it” sort of response I’m expecting from you based on the quality of your blog,
Hi Tim, the whole post above is aiming to answer that question and explain why I don’t agree with this. Healthy food is natural, wholesome and doesn’t require processing to be healthy. Healthy meals consist of basic ingredients like veggies, meat (but not necessarily), fruits, grains, nuts and so on. I am pretty sure you wouldn’t eat the mycoprotein on its own, without the additional ingredients and the fabrication process. In addition, I am pretty sure that everyone will agree that “Natural Caramelised Sugar” is not healthy and some of their products have it, as well as some other ingredients like firming agents and so on.
I came across this article when searching for “is quorn or meat free substitutes healthy?” I have been trying to equipt my diet with less processed foods lately and I have to say I have been in some sort of quorn loving frenzy purely because I thought I was doing said ‘healthy choices’. For some reason even though people have mentioned allergic reactions to the chicken nuggets, I’ve found them very tasty and very chickenlike. But through all of this new found love for eating quorn I was still thinking is this good for me, and having a niggling feeling it wasn’t all good. You have highlighted my subconscious thoughts to be correct. I in no way feel you were set out to scare the quorn eating fans out there, and I appreciate your input because now I will take a second look at that ingredients list! Thanks!
Hi Elanor, thank you so much for your kind comment! Yes, it’s just good to question foods sometimes, but as long as we consume everything in a balanced way, we should be ok! Best wishes!
I’ve had Quorn products for at least a year now. I don’t have it regularly but maybe once a month or less. I’ve never had a bad problem with their products from chicken nuggets to their gluten free line. The reason I chose this product over others is because they are soy free and have gluten free options. I am a meat eater who only eats meat from my local farmers market. I chose to be 80% vegetarian because the meat industry is so crazy. I’m not saying it’s healthy but better then cloned, steroid ed, animals and it’s an okay cheat meal for me. I usually have a kombucha or kimichi with it to help digestion. I never knew people had this bad of a reaction until now. Which does concern me.
Hi Mario, thanks for your comment. Yes it’s a very personal thing, some react badly, some are fine. You probably have nothing to worry about if you only have it occasionally and you feel fine. :)
Quinoa comes in meatball form at my supermarket. All food is processed even meat and vegetables have been processed covered with pestacides and modified over years of cultivation and breeding. Just because there is a process to making something doesn’t make it bad for you, in some cases it can help make something healthier.
Eat what you love, life is short.
I don’t suggest buying quinoa meatballs, just because they are made of quinoa. I suggest making your own food as much as possible. :) Yes everything is processed in a way, but there is a big difference from eating vegetables with pesticides to sugar-loaded quorn. I have a separate blog post about my opinion on processed food in general here.
Thanks for this informative article. Ive recently become pescatarian and been eating loads of Quorn products. But the other day i had a stomach ache after eating Quorn pieces, and just now i have been sick after eating Quorn sausages (which were gross anyway). Looks like I wont be eating any more Quorn! In response to a previous comment, i think 2000 reports IS quite alot, and Monika is right that they are probably the tip of the iceberg. I mean, im not going to report being sick now, so imagine theres lots of others wont either. Also Thanks for the bean burger recipe its just what i needed! I think i need to stick to whole foods.
Thanks for your kind comment Lucy! Whole foods are the best :)
Hi, at first I was sceptical about Quorn when they started doing the adverts.
Something that claimed to taste just like the real thing but was a ‘healthier’ option, was a cause for alarm for me. I thought I would never see it in my house but I was wrong.
One day because I couldn’t find any meat in the house, I finally opened a Quorn pack and cooked it, giving the product the benefit of the doubt, hoping that I would be pleasantly surprised.
I was wrong, so very wrong.
I grow up in a household where my mother produced rich flavour’s every meal, which is a truly an amazing thing living in England where everything is extremely watered down. So I can naturally tell the difference between meat and not meat. The phrase ‘it tastes just like meat’ is, in fact, a complete lie, my taste bud’s felt like they were being murdered and worst of all, I came down with the mother of all headaches soon after. I never know how bad the product really was until I read your article.
I finally have another reason to avoid the stuff.
Now, if only the rest of my family could stop stuffing the fridge with the stuff.
Adverts should always be questioned, often we don’t buy what was promised :/ Well done for being so aware of what you eat! :)
Hi Monika~
Would love to connect… Thank you for your article on Quorn. I’ve been researching the toxic ingredients found is many of our meat alternatives, as I focus on KNOW THY INGREDIENTS. ALL LIFE DEPENDS ON IT. I joked, the food business found me, and after learning about what I call a food industry gone sour, I am on a fervent mission to expose these truths, as you are. Going V does not mean that all proteins are healthy, and I am deeply saddened that toxic ingredients can hide behind crafty marketing and deceptive labeling and it’s making us sick. I feel it is critical to help others understand that highly-processed proteins are man-made and that anytime you isolate a protein from nature’s intended source you create a d-glutamate, which is a highly toxic neurotoxin, aka: excitoxin. On the path to not wanting to harm to our animals or our planet, why would be violent to our bodies by ingesting these toxins? Yet, if we don’t know, then it is because of your heart and sharing that you help others to know… so, together, we can co-create a sustainable thriving future worth choosing! BIG HUGS FOR YOU!!
Hi Monika
Thanks for doing the research, saved me doing it! Im so sad to be giving up Quorn however your kidney bean rissoles look delicious. Oh and your diplomatic answers to some harsh comments are a credit to you!
Oh Carey thank you so much for your comment! Criticism is inevitable online, but it can turn into an interesting conversation sometimes if both parties are reasonable :)