Quorn is the leading brand of mycoprotein food product in the UK^[1] and a leading brand elsewhere. Mycoprotein is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the Albuminoid which is the principal constituent of the Protoplasm of the Mycoprotein is a generic term for protein-rich foodstuffs made from processed edible fungus. Mycoprotein is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the Albuminoid which is the principal constituent of the Protoplasm of the Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl A fungus (ˈfʌŋgəs is a eukaryotic Organism that is a member of the kingdom Fungi (ˈfʌndʒaɪ

Quorn is produced as both a cooking ingredient and a range of ready meals. A TV dinner (also called frozen dinner, microwave meal or ready meal) is a prepackaged frozen or chilled Meal which usually comes in an Quorn is sold (largely in Europe but also in other parts of the world) as a healthy food and an alternative to meat, especially for vegetarians. The term Health food has been used in the United States since the 1920s to refer to specific foods claimed to be especially beneficial to Health. A meat analogue, also called a meat substitute, mock meat, faux meat, imitation meat, or soymeat, approximates the aesthetic qualities Vegetarianism is the practice of a diet that excludes Meat (including game and slaughter by-products Fish (including Shellfish and other sea As it uses egg white as a binder, it is not suitable for vegans. Albumen redirects here For other uses see Albumen (disambiguation. A binder is an ingredient used to bind together two or more other materials in mixtures

Contents 1 History 2 Production 3 Controversy 4 References 4.1 General references 4.2 Specific references 5 External links

History

A shortage of protein-rich foods by the 1980s was predicted during the 1950s. ^[2] In response to this, many research programmes were undertaken to utilise single-cell biomass as an animal feed. Contrary to the trend, Lord Rank instructed the Rank Hovis McDougall (RHM) Research Centre to investigate converting starch (the waste product of cereal manufacturing undertaken by RHM) into a protein-rich food for human consumption. Joseph Arthur Rank 1st Baron Rank ( December 22 1888 &ndash March 29 1972) was a British industrialist and Film producer RHM, known more fully as Rank Hovis McDougall was a United Kingdom Food Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide

Following an extensive screening process, the filamentous fungus Fusarium venenatum, discovered in 1967^[3], was isolated as the best candidate. Fusarium venenatum is a Fungus, more precisely a Mould, from which a Mycoprotein can be derived In 1980, RHM was given permission to sell mycoprotein for human consumption after a ten-year evaluation programme.

The initial retail product was produced in 1985 by Marlow Foods (named after RHM's headquarters in Marlow, Buckinghamshire) - a joint venture between RHM and Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) who provided a fermenter left vacant from their abandoned single-cell feed programme. Marlow (previously Great Marlow or Chipping Marlow) is a town and Civil parish within Wycombe district in south Buckinghamshire, England Imperial Chemical Industries ( ICI) is a British chemical subsidiary of a Dutch conglomerate and one of the largest chemical producers Patents for growing and processing the fungus, and other intellectual properties in the brand, were invested in Marlow by the two partners. Although the food sold well in the initial test market of the RHM staff canteen, the large supermarket chains were unconvinced until Lord Sainsbury, owner of supermarket Sainsbury's agreed to stock the novel food. David John Sainsbury Baron Sainsbury of Turville FRS (born 24 October 1940) is a British businessman politician and Peer in the J Sainsbury plc ( is the parent company of Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd commonly known as Sainsbury's (also Sainsbury and JS) the third largest Quorn entered widespread distribution in the UK in 1994, and was introduced to other parts of Europe in the 1990s and to the United states in 2002. ^[4] The initial advertising campaign for Quorn featured sports personalities including footballer Ryan Giggs, rugby player Will Carling and runner Sally Gunnell. Ryan Joseph Giggs OBE (born Ryan Joseph Wilson on 29 November 1973 in Ely, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom William David Charles Carling OBE (born 12 December 1965) is a former Rugby union player for Harlequins, and a former captain of Sally Jane Janet Gunnell OBE (born 29 July 1966 in Chigwell, Essex, England) is a former British ^[5]

Although the mycoprotein was originally conceived as a protein-rich food supplement for the predicted global famine, the food shortage never materialised. In 1989 a survey revealed almost half of the UK population was reducing their intake of red meats and a fifth of young people were vegetarians. As a result, Marlow Foods decided to sell Quorn as a new healthy meat analogue which was free of animal fats and cholesterol.

When ICI hived off its biological products divisions from the core chemical business in 1993, Marlow became part of the Astra Zeneca group, one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. AstraZeneca PLC (,) is a large Anglo-Swedish Pharmaceutical company formed on 6 April 1999 by the remerger of Swedish Astra AB In 2003 Zeneca sold Marlow, the Quorn business, and associated trademarks and patents, to private equity firm Montagu Private Equity for £70 million. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency ^[6] Two years later food giant Premier Foods acquired Marlow for £172 million. Premier Foods plc ( is a British -based food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans. ^[7]

Marlow sells Quorn brand mycoprotein in ready-to-cook forms (as cubes and a form resembling minced meat), and later introduced a range of chilled vegetarian meals based on Quorn. Its range includes pizzas, lasagna, cottage pie, and formed Quorn products resembling sliced meat, hotdogs, and burgers. Pizza (ˈpiːtsə, in Italian:) is a popular dish made with an Oven -baked flat generally round Bread that is covered with tomatoes or a tomato-based Lasagna (singular laˈzaɲa in Italian plural lasagne pronounced) is both a form of Pasta in sheets (sometimes rippled though seldom so in Northern Cottage pie is a traditional English dish made with minced meat covered with a Mashed potato crust As of 2006 it is available in stores in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, the US, Switzerland and Republic of Ireland. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. In the UK it enjoys around 60% of the meat-replacement food market, with annual sales of around £95 million^[6]. Until December 2003 Quorn had been available in France.

In 2004 McDonald's introduced a Quorn branded burger bearing the seal of approval of the Vegetarian Society,^[8] an endorsement criticised by the Vegan Society. The Vegetarian Society is a British registered charity established on 30 September 1847 with the aim of promoting understanding and respect for The Vegan Society is a Registered charity in the United Kingdom, promoting Veganism. ^[9] However, the product proved to be less popular than the company had envisaged and was subsequently removed from the menu after a short time.

Production

Quorn is made from the soil mould Fusarium venenatum strain PTA-2684 (previously misidentified as the parasitic mold Fusarium graminearum). WikipediaManual_of_Style#National_varieties_of_English --> Molds (or Fusarium venenatum is a Fungus, more precisely a Mould, from which a Mycoprotein can be derived Gibberella zeae is a Plant pathogen causing the wheat headblight disease The fungus is grown in continually oxygenated water in large, sterile fermentation tanks. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions During the growth phase glucose is added as a food for the fungus, as are various vitamins and minerals (to improve the food value of the resulting product). Glucose (Glc a Monosaccharide (or simple Sugar) also known as grape sugar, is an important Carbohydrate in Biology. A vitamin is an Organic compound required as a Nutrient in tiny amounts by an Organism. The resulting mycoprotein is then extracted and heat-treated to remove excess levels of RNA. Mycoprotein is defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as "the Albuminoid which is the principal constituent of the Protoplasm of the Ribonucleic acid ( RNA) is a Nucleic acid that consists of a long chain of Nucleotide units Previous attempts at producing such fermented protein foodstuffs were thwarted by excessive levels of DNA or RNA; without the heat treatment, purine, found in nucleic acids, is metabolised producing uric acid, which can lead to gout. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known Purine ( 1) is a heterocyclic Aromatic Organic compound, consisting of a Pyrimidine ring fused to an Imidazole ring Uric acid (or urate) is an Organic compound of Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Hydrogen with the formula C5H4N4O3 Gout (also called metabolic arthritis) is a disease created by a buildup of Uric acid. ^[10]

The product is then dried and mixed with chicken egg albumen, which acts as a binder. An egg is a round or oval body laid by the female of many animals consisting of an Ovum surrounded by layers of Membranes and an outer casing which acts to nourish Albumen redirects here For other uses see Albumen (disambiguation. It is then textured, giving it some of the grained character of meat, and pressed either into a mince (resembling ground beef), forms resembling chicken breasts, meatballs, turkey roasts, or into chunks (resembling diced chicken breast). In these forms Quorn has a varying color and a mild flavour resembling the imitated meat product, and is suitable for use as a replacement for meat in many dishes, such as stews and casseroles. A casserole, from the French for "saucepan" is a large deep pot or dish used both in the Oven and as a serving dish The final Quorn product is high in vegetable protein and dietary fibre and is low in saturated fat and salt. Dietary fibers are the indigestible portion of plant foods that move food through the Digestive system, absorbing water and easing Defecation. Saturated fat is Fat that consists of Triglycerides containing only saturated Fatty acids Explanation Fat that occurs For sodium chloride in the diet see Salt. Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or Halite, is a The amount of dietary iron it contains is lower than that of most meats.

Contrary to some suggestions, Quorn is not genetically modified: the fungus used is still genetically unmodified from the state in which it was discovered. The different tastes and forms of Quorn are results of industrial processing of the raw fungus.

Quorn for the European market is produced at Marlow's headquarters in Stokesley, North Yorkshire and at nearby Billingham in Stockton-on-Tees. Stokesley is a small Market town and a Civil parish in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England. North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county in Billingham is a Town in the Borough of Stockton on Tees in North East England with a population of 35765 (2006 Stockton-on-Tees is a Unitary authority area and borough in the Tees Valley area of North East England, with a population in 2001 of 178408 ^[11]

Controversy

Quorn's 2002 debut in the United States was more problematic than its European introduction had been—the sale of Quorn was contested by The American Mushroom Institute, Gardenburger and the Center for Science in the Public Interest. See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. The American Mushroom Institute is the Industry trade group for the U Gardenburger is the brand name of a Veggie burger. The company makes a variety of Vegetarian and Vegan products and Meat substitutes According The Center for Science in the Public Interest ( CSPI) is a non-profit watchdog and Consumer advocacy group headquartered in Washington D They filed complaints with advertising and trading-standards watchdogs in Europe and the USA, claiming that the labelling of Quorn as "mushroom based" was deceptive. The CSPI, observing that while a mushroom is a fungus, fusarium is not a mushroom, and they quipped, "Quorn's fungus is as closely related to mushrooms as humans are to jellyfish. A mushroom is the fleshy Spore -bearing Fruiting body of a Fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source Fusarium is a large genus of filamentous Fungi widely distributed in soil and in association with plants "

CSPI also expressed concern that some proteins present in Quorn could produce unexpected allergic reactions in some consumers, and continues to lobby for its removal from stores on this basis. Allergy is a disorder of the Immune system often also referred to as Atopy. But as others counter, milk, peanuts, soy, eggs, and many other foods are common allergens (often fatally), setting a precedent that simply being an allergen for some consumers is not a reasonable cause to remove a product from stores. Calling the product "fungus food", CSPI claimed in 2003 that it "sickens 4. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 5% of eaters"^[12]. The manufacturer disputes the figure, claiming that only 0. 0007% (1 in 146,000) suffer adverse reactions^[12]. The CSPI's claims were disputed by Marlow and described by Leslie Bonci, professor of nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh, as "overblown". The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a non-sectarian coeducational independent state-related, "public" research University ^[13] CSPI have in turn been accused of using the most extreme and overblown quotations they receive for shock value. ^[14] Pundit Steven Milloy, writing for the American channel Fox News, said "CSPI appears to have an unsavory relationship with Quorn competitor, Gardenburger" and called the CSPI's complaints "unscrupulous shrieking". Steven J Milloy is the " Junk science " commentator for FoxNews ^[15] Gardenburger in turn refuted this, saying Milloy's "unsavory relationship" claim was "untrue and groundless". ^[16]

The UK's Advertising Standards Authority also had concerns over Marlow's practice of marketing Quorn as "mushroom in origin", saying it had been "misleading consumers". The ASA noted "despite the advertiser’s explanation that they used the term because customers were unfamiliar with the main ingredient, mycoprotein, the ASA considered that the claim implied that Quorn was made from mushroom. Marlow Foods were asked either to delete the claim or give in the same font size, a statement of the mycoprotein origin of the product, or the fungal origin of the product. "^[17]

Quorn's acceptance in the vegetarian market was hampered by the use of battery eggs in its production process, a practice opposed on ethical grounds by many vegetarians. In Industrial agriculture, battery cages (called laying cages in the United States are a confinement system used primarily for egg-laying hens. For this reason, the Vegetarian Society initially did not approve these products. Working with the Vegetarian Society, Marlow began phasing out battery eggs in 2000,^[18] and by 2004 all Quorn products sold in the UK were produced without battery eggs, earning the seal of approval of the UK branch of the Vegetarian Society. ^[19]

References

General references

• Center for Science in the Public Interest. The Center for Science in the Public Interest ( CSPI) is a non-profit watchdog and Consumer advocacy group headquartered in Washington D "Quorn complaints". Retrieved on 2006-05-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held - CSPI's page on its concerns about Quorn
• Farhad Manjoo. Farhad Manjoo (born 1978 is an author and a staff Writer for Slate "A Mushrooming Quorn Controversy". Retrieved on 2006-05-20. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held - Wired magazine report of Quorn's USA debut

Specific references

External links

• Official website
• Nutritional information of Quorn products

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