Meat substitute made from fungus in U.S.

South Bend Tribune ^ | March 3, 2002

[turk99]

March 3, 2002

Meat substitute made from fungus in U.S.WASHINGTON (AP) -- A fake meat that is made from fungus, but looks and tastes like chicken, has arrived in U.S. supermarkets. In Europe, the meat substitute rivals soyburgers and similar products in popularity.

Known as mycoprotein, it is marketed under the trade name Quorn (pronounced kworn) and made into a variety of products, including chicken-like nuggets, lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo -- even an alternative to ground beef, called "grounds."

"It's wonderful as far as consumers are concerned," said Leslie Bonci, a nutrition specialist who first tried mycoprotein in a London restaurant. "It's a lot of protein for a minimal amount of calories and three to four grams of fiber.

"Scientists found the fungus growing on farms west of London in the 1960s and discovered that its long strands could be made into a product that mimicked the fibrous tissue of meat.

The fungus is now grown through fermentation, mixed with egg and flavorings and fashioned into imitation chicken or beef.

The product was developed by a subsidiary of the Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and introduced in Britain in 1985. It is now eaten in one in 20 British households, the company says, and is sold in six other European countries. It arrived in U.S. stores in January after getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

"I think it's got a lot of potential. We just have to make sure fungus is not going to appear on the label anywhere," said Bonci, director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

It doesn't.

Labels on Quorn products say that mycoprotein "comes from a small, unassuming member of the mushroom family, which we ferment like yogurt.

"That sounds much more appealing than calling it a fungus -- mycoprotein means fungal protein -- but it also is not accurate, critics say.

"It has as much to do with mushrooms as you and I have to do with salamanders," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the advocacy group Center for Science in the Public Interest. "We all know what a mushroom looks like. This ain't it."

His group has complained to the FDA about the label, and says the agency should not have approved mycoprotein without requiring more review of its potential to cause allergic reactions, because it has not been consumed in this country before.

A panel of U.S. scientists that reviewed the product at the manufacturer's expense decided there was little chance people would be allergic to Quorn and that the product had many nutritional benefits. Their report, published last year in the journal Food Technology, was submitted to the government.

[cake_crumb]

LOL

I still wonder, though: does it barbeque well? Just think of all the innocent turkeys who would be saved from the depredations hungry partiers all summer long...

[Diddle E. Squat]

What's the old saying, "There's a fungus among us, and zucchinus between us."

Or something like that.

[cake_crumb]

"Put milk over dried slices of regular button mushrooms and you'll have a breakfast champignons. (very bad mycological humor :-)"

LOL...I'll say.

Personally, I like beefsteaks, shaggy manes, morels and puffballs.

Hmmm...puffballs with milk? Nah, I'll stick with sauteeing them in butter.

[Ditter]

Yeah I was thinking about those artificial flavorings too. Its probably full of MSG & other flavor enhancers that are even stronger. Thats what food processors do when food doesn't have alot of flavor (like fungi), they add MSG. Instant yummy!

[cake_crumb]

I didn't feel the need to add a <SARCASM> tag.

My grandmother was the general manager for GNC foods.

[Leisler]

Pass the crackers, please.

[cake_crumb]

Yep. Gotta love that MSG.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Gotta love that MSG

Yep, some folks traditionally use Monosodium Glutamate to flavor their food, some Sodium Chloride, and others use Nitrates. Different strokes for different folks.

[null and void]

Mix some alga with your fungus and you'll be lichen it.

*groan*

[null and void]

Put milk over dried slices of regular button mushrooms and you'll have a breakfast champignons.

You can stop now...

[Ditter]

I am allergic to MSG other flavor enhancers. I bought a food chemical dictonary & I read all labels. They can be avoided at restaurants too, most of the time. I KNOW when a restaurant has been wrong about their information.

[Lazamataz]

<>I>It may be "wonderful," but I'm holding out for Soylent Green.

BS. I'm waiting for SOMA! ;^)

[null and void]

Tradre Joe's has a mushroom based burger substitute called "Burger Champignon". It's pretty good, and I speak as someone who didn't claw his way to the top of the food chain to eat vegitables...

[zog]

---there's a fermented food made from soybeans called 'tempeh" you and your family might like. Well it's really a fungus on the beans. Sounds weird but is quite tasty, I used to eat it a lot when there was a store local that carried it. Treat it cooking exactly like you would a piece of red meat. It's MUCH better than bland tofu.

[cake_crumb]

I'm allergic to both MSG and nitrates.

I don't know how common it is for people to become allergic to salt, though it seems like such an allergy would constitute a death sentence.

I am beginning to believe that we will have to be the death of about 50 turkeys a year, after all. I don't think I want to try barbequing a fungal turkey.

[jrewingjr]

Fake meat made from fungi

I'm quite certain that this so called new product was accidentally created in the public school cafeterias decades ago.

[LarryLied]

I'd be willing to try it. My oldest son is deathly allergic to any type of poultry.

Trying making Tempah. Indonesians call it "meat without bones". It is soy beans or rice innoculated with a fungus. During WWII an Australian POW saved his fellow prisoners by innoculating their rice with it (what they were eating was polished and had no B-12, they were coming down with Beri-Beri).

Fun to prepare too. Has a yeasty bread like smell when it is growing. It can be marinated and grilled. Very tasty. Store bough is OK but home made is best (and a lot cheaper).

[cake_crumb]

AH...you obviously refer to the famed "all purpose patty"!! I believe those were made from the fungi growing on moisture damaged soybeans, though...

[aruanan]

It's a lot of protein for a minimal amount of calories and three to four grams of fiber.

Ha ha ha ha ha. Three or four grams of fiber per what? Also, if it's protein, then calorically it's 4 kilocals per gram; no less than any other protein no matter what the source. It would have made more sense to say that it's low in fat compared to meat and so contains less calories per gram (fat is 9 kilocals per gram).

[Fintan]

Amazing. Although, I've had grilled portobello mushrooms which could pass for a piece of meat.

One of my favorites.

And please don't insult fungi by mentioning them in the same breath as Hillary Clinton, although she is adept at feeding people horsesh*t and keeping them in the dark...

SHRIMP-STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOMS

Small portobello mushooms are sometimes labeled portobellini or baby portobellos. Pair this dish with a salad and white wine for a light lunch or supper.

See how to chop herbs.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
6 ounces cooked bay shrimp
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
8 2- to 2 1/2-inch portobello mushrooms, dark gills removed

Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, basil, garlic, and rosemary. Sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl; mix in shrimp, breadcrumbs, cheese, and mayonnaise. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange mushrooms, rounded side down, on oiled baking sheet. Mound shrimp filling in mushrooms, pressing filling to compact slightly. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake mushrooms until tender and filling begins to brown, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes 4 (appetizer) servings.
 

Bon Appétit

April 2001

Too Busy To Cook?

( land-mage@excite.com ) from greeley co on 02/10/02  
Followed recipe, was pretty good, but not spectacular. Next time I think I'll up the amount of cheese.

A Cook from san francisco, ca on 01/09/02  
this makes a wonderful appetizer and very easy to make. everybody loved it!! (even my mother :) this is the best recepie site I've ever seen!!

Stephanie ( dntownsf@onemain.com ) from San Francisco, CA on 01/06/02  
YUMMY--made these into small stuffed mushrooms rather than big ones--everyone loved them! followed the recipe exactly except for using smaller mushrooms, and they were a hit! Served them with lots of other Epicurous recipes--what a great site!

Tom Childers ( tdc@well.com ) from Corte Madera, CA on 01/05/02  
Excellent. I used medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, chopped them in to 3-4 pieces each, and 4 large portobello mushrooms. I did not cook the shrimp before adding them to the stuffing mix. This made a wonderful main course!

Stephanie ( jimandstephanie@msn.com ) from West Virginia on 01/01/02  
I made these for a New Year's Eve party and they were quite a hit. I think I may try lump crab in place of the shrimp next time because the filling is such a great combination of flavors. This recipe will definitely go in my party file.

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