Ingredient used in Quorn products may help caterers

These are the findings of a paper published in the December issue of Nutrition Bulletin, the journal of the British Nutrition Foundation, and could prove valuable to all caterers looking to serve healthy dishes to their customers. The paper's authors reviewed published data investigating the health benefits of the fungi-based protein, called mycoprotein – the unique ingredient in all Quorn products. Findings highlighted that mycoprotein has modest but meaningful cholesterol-lowering properties and might help to reduce blood glucose and insulin levels to the normal range. Quorn products available for foodservice – including mince, pieces, fillets, Swedish-style balls, sausages and burgers – lend themselves exceptionally well as the protein choice for a wide variety of dishes, from popular and traditional fare through to ethnic and contemporary recipes. Marlow Foods – the makers of Quorn products – have further explored the health credentials of mycoprotein through a study called 'Quorn Close'. Quorn Close was a real-life trial that saw 21 residents in South London take part in a six-week trial in which they swapped their normal main meals each day for one made with Quorn products. Overall, participants reduced their total cholesterol by more than 11%, but the ten people who started the trial with higher levels of cholesterol saw a much sharper drop of over 35%. Reductions in LDL (bad) cholesterol were 13% in the overall group and 29% in the higher cholesterol group. As well as reducing cholesterol levels the research showed that eating Quorn products helped participants to lose fat from around their waistlines. On average, waist circumference dropped from 89cm (35") to 86cm (33½"), a decrease of 3cm (1½"). Those with higher cholesterol experienced a greater waist reduction, from 89cm (35") to 84cm (33"), a drop of 5cm (2").