SOYBEANS THAT CLUCK?

Soybeans are a versatile food. Combine them with human ingenuity, and it is amazing what can result.

A food engineer and his research team at the University of Missouri have developed a soybean product that is a substitute for chicken.

It looks and tastes like chicken, but it is fabricated out of soybean protein, flour and wheat starch.

The researchers added chicken-broth flavor and a browning agent to get the soybean product to look and taste just like chicken.

A number of food companies have expressed interest in the product, which costs slightly less than chicken.

This is an example where scientific research clearly benefits mankind. It is more practical than cloning.

It offers an economic opportunity in Southeast Missouri where soybeans are a major crop.

The product also seems to meet the needs of a health-conscious nation. Some vegetarians, in particular, might delight in being able to eat "chicken."

You can look forward to seeing it on grocery-store shelves.