A vegan in Brampton, ON: Review of 'Worthington Loma Linda' Redi-Burger™

Worthington Loma Linda -- Redi-Burger™ (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3/5
Summary: not much info on the brand or quality of ingredients. I found the flavour very nice! It was actually smoky and meaty with a really great blend of spices. Unfortunately, it's a very soft patty that breaks apart very easily. The ingredients are not without issues (e.g. hydrolyzed soy protein, caramel colour, carrageenan). This brand is linked to Kellogg's and Morningstar, both of which have not confirmed the GMO status of this product, so I'd rather stay away. I won't be buying this again, regardless of how flavourful it is.

Where to buy: US store locator

Ingredients: textured wheat gluten with water for hydration, water, defatted wheat germ, torula yeast, rice flour. Contains 2% or less of defatted soy flour, corn oil, salt, potato flakes, onion powder, hydrolyzed soy protein, oat flour, caramel colour, wheat flour, soy lecithin, garlic powder, L-lysine monohydrochloride, carrageenan, malto-dextrin, soy protein isolate, potato starch, potassium chloride, dextrose, konjac flour, spice, natural smoke flavour, vitamins (niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B1 [thiamine mononitrate], vitamin B6 [pyridoxine], vitamin B2 [riboflavin], vitamin B12 [cyanocobalamin]).

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1 slice
Calories: 120
   Calories from fat: 20
Total fat: 2.5g
   Saturated fat: .5g
   Trans fat: 0g
   Polyunsaturated fat: 1.5g
     Monounsaturated: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 450mg
Potassium: 140mg
Total Carbohydrate: 7g
     Dietary fiber: 4g
     Sugars: 1g
Protein: 8g
Iron: 6%

*Full nutritional profile available here.

The nutritional profile is pretty good: for only 120 calories, it's low in saturated fat, high in fiber and protein. However, the sodium content is pretty high at 450mg for only 1 patty.

The ingredients are questionable, especially the soy- and corn-based, which may be genetically modified. Beware of the hydrolyzed soy protein, caramel colouring, and carrageenan which are linked to negative health effects.

Other Worthington Loma Linda canned products: