Tofu factory profits despite scare
By RICHARD WIENS
Of the Emerald
A hepatitis scare can dampen a food-production
business faster than anything else. But the Surata
Soyfoods factory, 518 Olive St.. rebounded from just
such a catastrophe. Sales of a Chinese food called
tofu, Surata's only product, are booming
Tofu, also known as bean curd or soybean cake, is
the pressed curds of soybean milk. First discovered
by a Chinese prince, it has been the protein back
bone of East Asians' diets for more than 2,000 years.
Surata Soyfoods began making the cheese-like pro
duct in Eugene and selling it to health food stores and
restaurants in March, 1977.
“Our business climbed gradually," says Benjamin
Hills,^art of a five-member cooperative that owns
and operates the factory. By last December, sales of
tofu had increased from the 400 pounds per week at
the beginning, to 1,000 pounds weekly.
And then disaster pounced. Two workers at the
tofu factory were found to have hepatitis. Hills im
mediately notified the Lane County Health Division
and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, who in
turn notified the press.
“Tofu factory has outbreak of hepatitis," screamed
a Eugene Register-Guard headline. Tofu lovers,
beware, warned the Willametter Valley Observer.
The health division closed down Surata Soyfoods
for two weeks in January and attempted, mostly
without success, to recall all tofu shipped by the
factory in December.
Although no cases of hepatitis were traced to the
tofu, sales dropped by about 10 percent when the
factory was allowed to reopen. Not a single health
food store or restaurant canceled its account with the
tofu manufacturers, but the bad publicity had an af
fect on wary consumers.
Fortunately for Surata time heals all and increases
tofu appetities Surata Soyfoods now supplies 22
Surata Soyfoods
stores and restaurants throughout Oregon, and last
week sold 1.530 pounds of the cream-colored food.
At the Oregon Country Fair in Veneta, a booth sup
plied by the factory sold 580 pounds of tofu, accord
ing to Pat Manuel, Surata's public relations person.
Tofu is usually sold in one-pound blocks, but at the
Veneta fair it was prepared in many different ways.
For breakfast, the booth sold scrambled tofu. "Tofutil
las," fried tofu with green peppers, was served at
lunchtime. For dinner, tofu in mixed vegetables was
the hot item.
Manuel, a University nutrition major, says “people
aren't aware of how important it is to get fresh tofu.
The packaged tofu sold in grocery stores is imported
from California and far from fresh.
“Tofu can be eaten raw if it is fresh enough,” she
says. It can also be served in salad dressings, sand
wiches, soups, casseroles, vegetable and grain pre
parations and a host of other dishes.
“I just want fresh tofu in the community,” Manuel
adds. “Housewives are becoming aware that there
shouldn't be as much meat in their family's diet.
Mainly, they re switching to dairy products. I want
them to know there's an alternative.
“Tofu is wonderful because it’s a very cheap
source of high quality protein. I use it every day, but
then, I’m a hard-core tofu person."
So, apparently, is a growing number of other
Oregonians. Surata Soyfoods is "pretty much mak
ing as much tofu as they can as fast as they can,
says Manuel. The factory will soon purchase a huge
pressure cooker to cook soybeans faster, and it
plans to start producing other food items (Coming
soon is tempeh, a fermented soy product said to
taste like southern fried chicken).
Tofu’s success in Eugene is due in part to an
increase in various consumer types, says Hills.
“A lot of older people are catching on to it. It’s a low
cholesterol food that’s even been shown to reduce
fat deposits.”
Pepper band pays tribute to Beatles
By MELODY WARD
Of the Emerald
It’s been more than 10 years
since the Beatles recorded
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Band and filmed Yellow Sub
marine. Both the record and the
movie stood out — Yellow Sub
because it was their best movie,
and the album because it was the
first they recorded after they stop
ped touring in 1966.
Sgt. Pepper s cover showed a
collage of stars pressed around a
grave bearing the legend Bea
tles.” A subtle indication that
things had somehow changed
Black-clad John, Paul, George
and Ringo stood among the
mourners, with the Pepper band,
henceforth SPLHCB, standing in
full parade regalia at the grave s
head.
Two years later, Paul took the
long and winding road to being an
individual artist, and the Fab Four
were no more.
Until this summer, that is. Some
70s superstars have dusted off
the parade regalia, hired the Bea
tles' old producer (George Martin)
and put together a musical alle
gory (shades of the Sub) with a little
help from friends like George
Burns, Steve Martin and Alice
Cooper — to name a few.
The BeeGees plus Peter
Frampton have pulled it off with
unexpected class, recreating for a
while the magic and — ready
cringing gear, die-hard cynics —
joy that was in so much of Lennon,
McCartney and Harrison's music.
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band circa 1978 is an outstanding
piece of entertainment and has
come to the National Theater in
Eugene.
The scenes with Steve Martin
alone are worth the price of ad
mission.
This is no ordinary (blah) musi
cal. The story was written to fit
many of the Beatles best songs,
rather than the other way round.
The dialogue is music, woven to
gether with short silent-film mes
sages and narration by Mr. Kite
(Burns). Sort of the ultimate
video-disc, panoramis style.
The plot aoes nave some ele
ments in common with predeces
sor Submarine, but it is fresh
compared with other summer
Before Finals
ESSAY EXAM WORKSHOP
Friday, August 4
10:00-3:00
Well teach you how to predict, prepare, and
write clear, well-organized essay exams - fast!
For information and registration call 686-3226, or stop by.
Learning Resources Center
268 Condon Hall
musical offerings.
Heartland, USA is the home of
Billy Shears and three brothers
(BeeGees) who together formed
the second-generation SPLHCB.
Heartland is serious about its
musicians. Even moms and dads
rock out.
Billy (Frampton) is in love with a
wholesome young lass named
Strawberry Fields. All is well until
Our Boys receive word from Big
Disco (BD) that they are superstar
material. The theme is simple: big
city equals corruption, and Heart
land represents the pure of heart.
(And the love of money is-.)
So the boys fall.. .it's a long, long
way from the farm. BD shows 'em
a good time, LA music biz style.
Meanwhile, the dastardly (ex
realtor) Mr. Mustard creeps into
Heartland, steals Sgt. Pepper s
magical instruments, which must
be suppressed to maKe tne woria
free from decency, and vile vices
proliferate in the formerly unde
filed village. Mustard works for
FVP, who is plotting to take over
the world, stamp out love and turn
Strawberry into a mindless
groupie, with the aid of a love
hating army manufactured by Dr.
Maxwell (Martin) and trained by
Father Sun (Cooper).
You'll have to see the movie to
find out who FVP is. I guarantee a
surprise worthy of the Rolling
Stones.
In a movie crammed with
superstars, Strawberry Fields is
the unknown quantity. Not only is
she the hero(ine), but she really
can sing well. And unlike many
female characters (some in this
movie) she is neither bitch, femme
fatale, nor doormat. Too bad she
gets — oops.
i ne movie aoesn i jusi nue um
the music; the characters are
good: deadpan timing with excit
ing choreography and
psychedelic visual effects. Watch
closely, because everything
hinges on action and reaction. But
then, how could musicians go
wrong, playing a bunch of musi
cians? Earth, Wind and Fire plays
itself, bringing the only song not
produced by Martin.
When the combined forces of
American Top-40 get behind a
movie, including music mogul Don
(cringe) Kirshner, you know it's
going to be commercial. Maybe,
but at least the movie retains the
Beatles spirit.
By the way, in spite of what
happens to Strawberry, and even
though Billy — oops. Just re
member: home is where the heart
is; "where you once belonged.
Oregon Wilderness Supplies
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Summer Clearance Sale
25% off
Frame packs, Soft packs, books, fabrics,
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686-3089