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Veg*n Quorn in the US?

Fay

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I've been a vegetarian for many years now and eat quorn on a regular basis (I live in the UK). I'm planning to move to California next year and I wanted to know if you can buy Quorn there? If yes can you get the full range, where is it found, and is it expensive? If no are there brands like Quorn? I'd hate to go without Quorn as it's so good and you can make so much with it.
 

LifeAsItMayBe

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I went to their website and the store locator shows many stores that sell it in California. (broken link removed)
 

Paula

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There are many Quorn products available here in the US. You can use their website to locate stores in or near the city where you'll be living.

It may, however, not be available for long, as there are many groups trying to get it off the shelves permanently in the US due to the dangers of the protein source (which is fungus) and the dangerous, potentially deadly, reactions reported by many after consuming this product.

There are, though, many brands that offer vegan and vegetarian products similar to the Quorn products without the "mycoprotein," among them: Boca, Morningstar, and (my fave) Gardein.

Hope you enjoy life in the US!
 

Fay

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That's crazy... I've been eating quorn for years and I haven't dropped dead :confused: nor heard of anyone else over here having a reaction to quorn, will have to look into that. Thank you both for the info though I'll check it all out :)
 
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code3chica

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We eat it on occasion. I trust it more than I trust soy.
 

Fay

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I looked into the complaints about quorn. There doesn't appear to be enough concrete evidence for those statements made. I'm sure some people have experienced an allergic reaction but that's the same for every type of food, like nuts. The studies used very small test groups. If it was a widespread issue the millions of people eating quorn would be in an uproar. Instead just a small number of people have reported issues.

I don't really feel that's enough reason to say an item should be removed from the shelves but a warning added to the packaging would be good. I get the impression that this is more likely to do with their rival companies in the US trying to stop people from buying quorn. I'm glad to know there's options though. I was a bit worried I would be eating nothing but salad.

As posted on the website of the organisation making the complaint:

https://www.cspinet.org/quorn/medical_research.html

If you look at the numbers it's really not enough to claim it's highly allergenic. More studies with larger groups would be required to really get a clear picture.

I also take claims made by the FDA with a grain of salt they're well known to be more interested in making a profit than really providing the best information to the public regarding food and medication.
 
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Paula

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No, if you have been eating it for years and haven't had a problem, you likely won't. It's like you said, like any other allergic reaction. Having spent 3 days in the hospital a few years back as a result of consuming this product, I can attest that there are definitely risks. Also, oddly, I received an email from the company's representative urging me not to consume the product again (after contacting them about my reaction) because the reactions (if you're allergic) are increasingly more severe. I had suggested trying it again to see if it was the source of my reaction ... so, they are definitely aware of a problem for some people, too.

I also personally find the fact that they use factory grown fungus as the protein source more than a little unsettling, ha! But I should have paid more attention before consuming it, too. Fortunately there are many excellent and safe vegan and vegetarian options out there, so it hasn't mattered much for my family's food choices.

I think the main group pursuing having this banned may have settled for a warning on the labeling. In any case, I certainly didn't mean to offend or upset, just make you aware there's a possibility a product you love might not be available once you move. Having had many products I adore go away for one reason or another over the years, I know it's always hard to have to find a replacement.

Hope all goes well with your move.
 

Fay

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I'm sorry to hear you had such a reaction to it Paula, I think a warning is definitely a must. The fungus part doesn't really bother me as they use molds with things like yoghurt and some cheeses. I'm looking forward to trying the other products they look interesting.

What is food labeling there like by the way, are all foods clearly labelled as vegetarian? Or do you have to read all the ingredients? If so I'll have to brush up on my ingredients lingo. Also do cheeses over there use vegetarian rennet by default or animal rennet? In the Netherlands most cheeses used the animal kind by default but in the UK most standard cheeses are vegetarian. If not I'll have to check which brands of cheese I can eat.
 

Paula

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Some things are clearly labeled, some things aren't. As a result, I've gotten in the habit of reading all ingredients of anything new I buy and to simplify my life I've recently given up dairy and anything else that contains any kind of animal product. I've become a lot more aware of foods and ingredients of mass produced items, as a result.

As for rennet, I'm not entirely sure. I believe that companies don't have to disclose the source and can even use a variety of sources and simply call them "enzymes."
 

Fay

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That's not good, I think I will try to avoid any that try to hide their ingredients to that extend. Can't be a good sign. I mean surely if they had nothing to hide they would be happy to label their products adequately? Sounds like I have a lot to look into... Thanks for filling me in :)
 
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