INVESTIGATION OF POSSIBLE ADVERSE ALLERGIC REACTIONS TO MYCOPROTEIN (QUORN)

Mycoprotein ('Quorn') is a food produced for human consumption from Fu sarium graminearum. Crossreactivity studies showed that mycoprotein sh ared multiple common allergenic determinants with Aspergillus fumigatu s and Cladosporium herbarum and some with Alternaria alternata. There is, therefore, a potential for mould allergic patients to react advers ely to inhaled or ingested mycoprotein. Mycoprotein RAST screening of mycoprotein production workers was made during a 2 year period. Two of the production workers had specific RAST binding greater-than-or-equa l-to 2% but none reported symptoms. Two of 10 patients referred to hos pital following vomiting and diarrhoea after ingestion of mycoprotein had a mycoprotein skin-prick test weal greater-than-or-equal-to 2 mm b ut none had a significantly raised RAST. These largely negative result s are important and reassuring because consumption of the product in t he U.K. is now widespread and increasing.