Business Notes Inventions

The day may come when gourmands ordering the blue-plate special at their favorite restaurant will be served . . . a plate. An enterprising Asian manufacturer, the Taiwan Sugu Co., last week launched a line of plates and bowls that not only hold food but are food. Fashioned from wheat, they resemble standard disposable dinnerware right down to a glossy finish. What seems to be the world's first edible table setting could be the ultimate in biodegradability -- if humans don't consume their cutlery and plates, wildlife is likely to finish the job. Introduction in American fast-food restaurants is anticipated in perhaps six months.