I guess one could say that "Eats Chevy's" now has a whole new meaning!! (Not
fiction or here-say...facts.)
-------------------------------------------------------
JANUARY 31, 16:54 EST
GM To Use Hormel Protein Product
http://wire.ap.org/?FRONTID=HOME&SITE=TXHOU&enter=Go
AUSTIN, Minn. (AP) — The food company that gave the world Spam is teaming up
with General Motors Corp. to use pork and turkey byproducts to help make car
parts.
Hormel Foods Corp. will supply GM with a binding agent made from the animal
protein collagen. The binder will be used to form sand molds used for casting
metal parts, said Joel Johnson, Hormel's president, chairman and chief
executive.
``Who would have guessed that a food product would be used in the production of
your automobile's engine block?'' Johnson said at Hormel's annual shareholders
meeting Tuesday.
The collagen binder ``GMBond'' will be made in Austin, where Hormel is based.
Production equipment is being installed and sales will begin ``in the near
future,'' he said.
Traditionally, Johnson said, toxic chemicals have been used to bind sand to
create molds. The sand they bind is not recyclable, and this presents a
``severe pollution problem,'' he said. Through research, GM determined that
collagen is the best alternative to those chemicals and turned to Hormel, he
said.
``General Motors determined that Hormel Foods, with its pork and turkey
slaughtering operations, has the best access to raw materials necessary to
produce GMBond,'' he said.
Hormel and GM have formed an alliance for further research, and the automaker
has given Hormel an exclusive license to market and sell the product, Johnson
said.
--------------------------------------------------
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 11:58:50 EDT