HEALTHIER HAMBURGERS -- FROM MUSHROOMS! 

There will be an explosion in the food industry of new products in the next decade that will equal that experienced in the home consumer electronics field during the last ten years. This month to keep up with such progress we list these three new developments.

Those Japanese have done it again. This time they're growing a mushroom the size of a hamburger and it tastes like steak!

By creating a unique environment, with controlled temperatures and watering techniques, developed especially for growing this mushroom, a Japanese company, Kabushikikaisha Akita Inc. is opening up a totally new market. According to spokesman Masanao Kubo of Asahi Foods, the company in charge of production in Japan, the mushroom spores are cultured for 40 to 45 days until they reach full growth. At that precise time when they peak in flavor, aroma and crunchiness, they are picked, and then can be thrown on the barbeque grill providing an instant minimum cholesterol, low-fat "meaty" delight.

Such mushroom "steaks" have most of the vitamins and minerals contained in beef but far less protein. They will be available in Tokyo restaurants this fall. The company will be providing the technological known-how for overseas production to provide fresher mushrooms and allow transportation costs to be radically reduced.

Comment from the cattle industry is as expected: Janet Williams of the Beef Industry Council pouts "For those people who don't have beef available, it (the mushroom) may be of interest, but I would be surprised if it would be a significant product in the United States". These are the almost indentical words spoken by the U.S. auto industry in the late 70's and early 1980's when Japanese autos started to enter the country. You can expect these mushrooms here sooner than later and they will be a big hit. More information: Masanao Kubo, Asahi Foods, 2-15-5, Minaniharimaya-cho, Kochi, Kochi Prf., 780 Japan.

Phone: 888/82-7111. *****************************

Some day soon in the future, you may pull up to your supermarket or local grocery store to fill up your automobile fuel tank. How come? West Germany is now carrying out a government-sponsored pilot project that would grow rape seed on fallow fields. It not only helps the land in a positive environmental fashion but farmers will then bring this crop to local re-cycling centres for an oilextraction process. Here oil is produced that will be used for tractor and auto fuel as well as fertilizer for the following years crop. The straw that is left over after the process is completed is also used -- for packing material.

Mayor Heinrich Hovelmann of Papenburg, West Germany is one person participating in this new experiment. So far he has had no problems and his car has ran 8,700 miles. Mechanical Engineer Lothar Muller, director of the project claims exhaust fumes are far less than from the average car thus meeting the new, stricter environmental emission requirements ordered by the European Economic Community. Muller claims any diesel motor can be easily adjusted to run on rapeseed oil.

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Current developments in the field of biotechnology are exploding!

At the moment the United States has the lead but it looks like that is only a temporary position. The U.S. currently has the lead with a score of 97 new products in this field approved for marketing compared to just 42 for the Japanese. But Japan has a reported 143 new pharmaceutical or food products under development that according to all reports are "very innovative".

So much is happening in future food developments we are holding off for a later issue the idea, of which I already have pictures, of chickens being born that are chimeras, parts of two different fowls in one bird. Part chicken, part quail. I'll keep you posted.

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