"To really enjoy fake meat, you might have to forget ...the true origins of the stuff you're [eating]."
Farhad Manjoo, Wired Magazine (2002)
Meat substitutes are in increasing demand as more people reduce their meat intake or switch to vegetarianism. Edible mycoprotein, popularly known by the brand name Quorn™, offers a high-protein alternative to those consuming little or no meat. But vegetarianism was not on the minds of the U.K. pioneers of this food, who were seeking a ready source of protein against an anticipated global shortage.
The solution came from the least exotic of locations—a, field near the small English town of Marlow where the mold species Fusarium venenatum was discovered in 1967; it was soon identified as a potential source of mycoprotein.
Fungal extracts were assessed for human consumption by Rank Hovis McDougall (RHM) throughout the 1970s, and by 1980 large-scale production technigues had been mastered. Mycoprotein received permission for U.K. sale in 1985, and Quorn™ was launched by Marlow Foods. The fungus is grown in oxygenated fermentation tanks. Mycoprotein is then extracted, textured, and shaped, using chicken egg albumin as a binding agent.
Today the range of products based on Quorn™ is enormous, extending even to flavored "streaky bacon." Now, half a million Quorn™ meals are consumed in the United Kingdom each day.
