Doctors in Germany and Switzerland have given details of a patient who suffered a severe asthma attack and skin reaction hours after eating the popular meat substitute Quorn.
The 41-year-old man underwent a series of tests and Quorn was the only food he had eatedn to which he proved to be allergic. The researchers suggest the attack was likely caused by a reaction between the microprotein in Quorn and a human allergen in the patient, reports BBC News.
Quorn has come under suspicion of causing stomach upsets, and in the US the Centre for Science in the Public Interest campaigns for it to be withdrawn because of the reported allergic reactions. The CSPI claims to have received over 600 complaints from consumers who said they had suffered reactions including vomiting and diarrhoea after eating the product.
The UK Food Standards Agency said that intolerance of Quorn is much more unusual than intolerance of other foods such as soya and dairy products. However, a spokeswoman said the FSA would be assessing paper and any implications it might have for the Agency’s advice on Quorn.
AstraZeneca, the parent company of Marlow Foods which makes Quorn, refused to comment, the report continued.
