Quorn confirms it has discontinued a handy kids’ teatime essential after shoppers spot empty shelves
QURON has axed a handy teatime essential which was loved by both parents and kids.
Its Uniquorns meat-free pieces received rave reviews from parents before they vanished from supermarket shelves this year.
After they launched in 2022, shoppers said they were “all for” buying the product if it encouraged their kids to try “non-meat products”.
Despite being aimed at children, the product was also a hit with adults, with one customer describing the food as “yummy” in a social media post.
One customer also gave this review online: “Had these more than once, a great snack, use a dip or sauce.”
The savoury shapes were made with mycoprotein, a popular fungus used in vegan and vegetarian products.
But the snacks have vanished from supermarket shelves, with one eagle-eyed customer taking to X, formally known as Twitter, to find out more.
They flagged the issue, with the Quron team replying confirming the product had been discontinued.
A spokesperson from Quron told The Sun: “These products have now left the freezer.
“However, we still have a huge range of delicious frozen products perfect for family dinners, including our amazing dinosaur shaped nugget.”
The product retailed for £2.65 when it was in stock, and was commonly found on the shelves of supermarkets such as Tesco and Iceland.
Quron has an extensive range of meat-free products for children including dinosaurs-shaped meat-free pieces and nuggets.
It comes just one month after the company also revealed it pulled its chilled bacon slices from shelves.
In a statement, Quorn said: “Our chilled bacon slices are leaving the range but we do still have our frozen bacon slices available.
One customer said this in response to the news: “This is what frustrates me most about being on a specialised, meatless diet: every time I find something tasty, they tweak it or remove it. I’m sorry this has happened.”
What is Quorn and what is it made from?
Quorn is a meat substitute that is popular with vegetarians and also many meat eaters.
Originally launched in 1985 by Marlow foods, the product is primarily made from an edible fungus called mycoprotein. The mycoprotein makes up around 92 per cent of the Quorn.
Other key ingredients include:
- Rehydrated Free Range Egg White
- Natural Caramelised Sugar
- Firming Agents: Calcium Chloride, Calcium Acetate
- Gluten Free Barley Malt Extract
In most Quorn products, the fungus is dried before being mixed with the egg white, which is there to act as a binder.
The meat-substitute can then be adjusted in texture and pressed into various forms.
Quorn also offers an additional vegan product, which uses potato protein to bind, rather than egg white.
But, perhaps surprisingly, in 2014, it was reported that most consumers of Quorn are meat eaters rather than vegetarians.
Why are products axed or recipes changed?
ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders.
Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether.
They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers.
There are several reasons why this could be done.
For example, government regulation, like the “sugar tax,” forces firms to change their recipes.
Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs.
They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable.
For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018.
It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version.
Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year.
Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks.
While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.