Fascinating to see many vegan bloggers doing blog posts reviewing Quorn's new "vegan" product. They contacted me a few days ago and offered to send me a bunch of their product for my review.
I did a little research first, something most of the aforementioned bloggers didn't do. The basis for Quorn is a mud fungus that they grow in huge vats and add nutrients/chemicals to, later "spinning" or "shaping" the final product into meat-like shapes. More importantly, the Center for Science in the Public Interest (http://www.cspinet.org) has had a long battle with the manufacturers of Quorn concerning it's negative impact on many people who've ingested it. Some have had digestive issues and are allergic to it.
The company making Quorn has also misleadingly promoted it as a "mushroom-related" product:
Did any of the vegan bloggers giving Quorn a "positive" review mention these things? Unfortunately, no. Not even as an "FYI" or advisory.
John Robbins ("Food Revolution," "Diet for a New America") has weighed in on this issue:
http://www.foodrevolution.org/askjohn/35.htm
After having done my homework, I wrote back to the Quorn rep and told her, thanks, but that I'd rather eat mud, and please don't send me any of their product.
Vegan bloggers need to stop being so dazzled by the bright lights of some company offering to send them free products and instead, take a little time to do some research into the product first. I saw the same thing with the intense POM campaign the other year.
http://soulveggie.blogs.com/my_weblog/2010/06/more-dubious-pom-wonderful-marketing-attempts.html
As veganism grows in popularity, more and more corporations will try to use us to promote their products, and we should be responsible for doing a little research in determining whether or not their products are actually worthy, minimally, health-wise in promoting BEFORE we post glittering reviews.
Or, at least, point out any controversies regarding the food product as part of their review.
"Use the Goggle Luke."
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