for Not Disclosing Dangerous Reactions
"Vat-Grown Mold Tastes Like Chicken but Makes Some Violently Ill
WASHINGTON - An Arizona woman has filed a class action lawsuit accusing Quorn Foods of not disclosing on labels the fact that some people have serious allergic reactions to the main ingredient in its Quorn line of meat substitutes. That ingredient happens to be a fungus mold, actually discovered in the 1960s in a British dirt sample. The company grows the fungus in vats and processes it into a fibrous, proteinaceous paste. But more than a thousand people have reported to the Center for Science in the Public Interest that they have suffered adverse reactions, including nausea, violent vomiting, uncontrollable diarrhea, and even life-threatening anaphylactic reactions after eating the patties, cutlets, tenders and other products made with Quorn's fungus."
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This is from Center for Science in the Public Interest, a reputable outfit.
Doesn't mean there isn't another point of view.
I recently ate some and didn't get sick, which doesn't mean anything either.
Above is from Sept 09.
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200909171.html
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Anybody have any thoughts?
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ellen
Makers of Quorn, the Chicken-Flavored Fungus, Sued
Quorn
I and my family eat it often iit tastes great and is a good alternative to meat. I have had one case of a customer that had a reaction so now I always ask if they have any food allergies to fungus, mold, mushooms when I recommend this product as I do with soy and dairy products. This really reinforces the need for people to read the labels. Especially those with food sensitivities like myself. Thanks for the heads up!!!
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John Leary
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My immediate thought was this: Are foods with high fructose corn syrup required to warn you that some people have deadly allergies to as little as 100 milligrams of corn? Whatever standard Quorn is held to should be consistent across the food industry.
CSPI's headline was chosen to maximize impact, but it does not actually contain information. "Vat-grown mold" sounds awful, but then again so do "basement-grown herbs", "swamp-grown rice", and "rotting-log-in-pitch-black-warehouse-grown shiitakes". (Nevermind the images I could invoke for commonly accepted non-vegetarian foods. And does CSPI also object to the vat-grown molds in beer, wine, and kombucha?)
"Makes some violently ill" could apply to absolutely any food that contains protein (if you have allergies), or carbohydrate (if you have diabetes), or dietary fiber (if you have Crohn's disease). I don't think there's any food on the planet that won't "make some [set of people] violently ill". Quorn is just the one that's been singled out today.
CSPI reports that they've got over a thousand complaints about Quorn, but they've been actively seeking out these complaints for over six years, and they haven't published any details. There's been no controlled or peer-reviewed study demonstrating that Quorn is any more allergenic than any other food. Even CSPI's own "medical evidence" page lacks any actual medical evidence (beyond the obvious "if you have a mold allergy, you're allergic to this mold-based food"). Maybe this lawsuit will bring more to light, but I'd think CSPI would have already put out the best information they have.
The notion of "mold = food" simply disgusts certain people, and it seems like they're quick to point fingers when there's bad news. That doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with mold as food. Mold- and algae-based foods go back thousands of years, and they seem to be a crucial piece in the jigsaw puzzle of solutions needed if we're going to have 7 billion people thriving on this planet.
I first tried Quorn in 2002 and I loved it. I have yet to meet someone who tasted Quorn who didn't find it absolutely delicious and nutritious. I haven't bought it in awhile, but I think I will today.
By the way, I'm generally a big fan of CSPI. I just happen to disagree with them on this issue.
CSPI's headline was chosen to maximize impact, but it does not actually contain information. "Vat-grown mold" sounds awful, but then again so do "basement-grown herbs", "swamp-grown rice", and "rotting-log-in-pitch-black-warehouse-grown shiitakes". (Nevermind the images I could invoke for commonly accepted non-vegetarian foods. And does CSPI also object to the vat-grown molds in beer, wine, and kombucha?)
"Makes some violently ill" could apply to absolutely any food that contains protein (if you have allergies), or carbohydrate (if you have diabetes), or dietary fiber (if you have Crohn's disease). I don't think there's any food on the planet that won't "make some [set of people] violently ill". Quorn is just the one that's been singled out today.
CSPI reports that they've got over a thousand complaints about Quorn, but they've been actively seeking out these complaints for over six years, and they haven't published any details. There's been no controlled or peer-reviewed study demonstrating that Quorn is any more allergenic than any other food. Even CSPI's own "medical evidence" page lacks any actual medical evidence (beyond the obvious "if you have a mold allergy, you're allergic to this mold-based food"). Maybe this lawsuit will bring more to light, but I'd think CSPI would have already put out the best information they have.
The notion of "mold = food" simply disgusts certain people, and it seems like they're quick to point fingers when there's bad news. That doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with mold as food. Mold- and algae-based foods go back thousands of years, and they seem to be a crucial piece in the jigsaw puzzle of solutions needed if we're going to have 7 billion people thriving on this planet.
I first tried Quorn in 2002 and I loved it. I have yet to meet someone who tasted Quorn who didn't find it absolutely delicious and nutritious. I haven't bought it in awhile, but I think I will today.
By the way, I'm generally a big fan of CSPI. I just happen to disagree with them on this issue.
