European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 18, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday. April 18. 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 17 Money matter today s tip the first quarters Best performing Large Mutual funds were in order with percentage gains from the fourth Quarter of 1990 in parentheses t. Rowe Price science and technology up 43 percent Fidelity select medical 41 percent twentieth Century Ultra 40 percent Fidelity select biotech 40 percent. Top Small funds were american heritage up 54 percent prudent Speculator leveraged 48 percen Oberweis emerging growth 43 percent and Montgomery Small Cap fund up 39 percent conversion rates London it up wednesdays rates for the . Dollar to other currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies in dollars Gold was. Quoted at $360.75 an ounce Silver at $4.05 British Pound German Mark. French  Guilder -. Belgian Ranc. Italian lira. Swiss franc. Greek drachma. Turkish lira. Saudi arabian Riyal Spanish peseta. Portuguese escudo. Canadian Dollar Aust Nan schilling., norwegian Krone. Danish Krone. These Are unofficial rates As reported by wire service and banking sources and they Are listed to give some idea of daily currency fluctuations. The Only official rate concerns the Sale of German Marks to . Personnel for personal use and this will be 1.63 thursday based on wednesdays noontime Price fixing. New York Exchange april 16 april 17 1.7885 1.7845 1.6675 1.6660 5 6215 5.6390 1 8720 1 8765 .34.2100 34.2925 .1.233.80 1,237 .,1.4195 1.4205 180 45 180.65 .3,781.00 3.78180 .3.7504 3.7504 ,.102.61 102.85 144 36 145.13 .1.1477 1 1.1485 11.70 11.722 6.477 6.4890 6 3665 6.3790 new York up a York Stock Exchange Stock ats r company a Philip Morris Laidlaw inc b. A a. Citicorp. Adv Micro docs ism corp Micron tech inc Amer express. Saatchi Saatchi waste mgt inc Geol electric. United telecoms Fedl Natl Mage. Pepsico inc Wal Mart stores the 15 most Active stocks in new composite trading on tuesday. Sales last . 3,412 900 37 % up 1 % 3,096.400 71 i up 1 % 2.529.300 13 %. Up % 2.410,000 16 is. Up 44 2,1.79.800 13% a up 2,086.700 109% up 2 % 2,020,100 a 18% up 1 % 2.015,200 29% up 2 % 1,942,300 a 1 % up % 1,917,400 38% up 1 % 1,855,200 74 %. Up 1 % 1,834,100 25 up 2 1,732,700 49% up 1 % 1,705,500 34. Up % 1,700,400 43% off % american Exchange a new York Vur american Stock exc Stock amen Cus t2 so fruit of loom Amdahl corp Dia sonics inc carnival cruise Americus desc instrument sys Forest labs inc Western digital Moore medical a the 10 most Active stocks in Ange composite trading tuesday. Sales 1,267.500 521,500 465,600 444.200 431.200 416,000 377,300 337,400 284.800 267,700 last 9 % 154k 16 5 23 5/k 11 % 3 Vuk 39 % 5 8% . Up 1 % off Oft %. Up 1/k up 1 % up i up % up 1 up Vuk up a Jones tuesday a 0rk Dow Jones closin9 ran9e of averages 30 industrials 20 transport 15 l  65 Ste cos High 299579 1146.33 221.08 1063 92 Low 2912.13 1115.48 217 43 1036.46 change up 53 71 close 2986 88 1143.51 up 20 28 220.89 up 2 07 1061 27 up 17.55 horse meat sales Saddle up to healthy alternative pitch by David Tarrant Brussels Bureau Brussels Belgium a looking for a Way to lower your cholesterol without dropping meat from your diet want a healthy alternative to beef or pork at the dinner table try horse meat. A a at least that a the message coming from a amp my Public relations in Brut Selusi a belgian company hired by american horse meat producers to help Shore up sagging sales in Europe. A horse n eat has a lot of nutritional value. It definitely can compete with other meats in this area Quot said Michel Vandenbosch a amp Mvi a managing director. Quot it is astonishingly Low in fat in calories and in cholesterol Ideal for those who want to become or to stay slim a statements like these might prompt a few Horselaughs in America or Britain where dining on horse meat is considered taboo. But Many countries in Europe have a Long tradition of eating horse meat. In Belgium its even enshrined  delectable National dish called a Carbon Nades Fla Mandes a a a Stew enlivened with horse  the appetite for horse meat in Europe has been steadily declining for some time. In the 12 nations of the european Community consumption fell from nearly 2 pounds per person in 1975 to 1.3 pounds per person in 1990. Even in Belgium the leading consumer of horse meat within the dec consumption fell during the 1980s from seven pounds per head at the Start of the Dee Ade to 5.5 pounds last year. Changing tastes the Rise of fast food and even the Cost of raising horses have contributed to the decline. And As consumption has fallen More and More supermarkets and Butcher shops have stopped carrying the meat the Supply of horse meat also began dropping when it became too expensive to raise horses in Europe. Now More than two thirds of the meat is imported principally from the United states. That falloff has affected Many butchers in Belgium who once specialized in horse meat sales. A there used to be butchers All Over Belgium who sold horse meat Quot said Marc Deconinck one such Butcher in Brussels. Quot now there a Only a few of  a  �.�����. A there Are very few horses raised for consumption in Europe anymore a a said Alfons Gurickx who along with his parents runs a restaurant called de Kuiper. There Are very few horses raised for consumption in Europe anymore a Alfons Gurickx operator of a belgian horse meat restaurant located in the Brussels suburb of Vil Voorde do Kuiper is one of Only a handful of restaurants in Belgium that still serves Only horse meat. The influence of animal Protection groups has had a negative Impact on horse meat consumption worldwide go lick said. A a lot of people think you should not eat horses one said. A recent marketing Campaign on behalf of . Horse meat producers is aimed at changing that View and resurrecting Peoples craving for horse meat at least on the continent of Europe. The Brussels based a amp my Public relations firm has the Job and is taking a Subtle approach in its advertising to avoid offending animal lovers. A you could make enemies and give the Industry a bad image a with splashy advertising said Vandenbosch the company a managing director. Instead of employing hard sell tactics Vandenbosch organizes meetings with Small groups of journalists sends out press releases and hoofs it around Europe promoting his product within the Overall meat Industry. For example he plans to attend several big Trade conferences including the world meat Congress in London next week he said the promotional Campaign is tailored to the sensitivities and tastes of the diverse european audience. A lifestyle and tradition is a big part of marketing a Vandenbosch said. A in Belgium you can speak about horse meat because it is a tradition there. But in Austria where eating horse meat is More rare you have to play to the health aspect. You have to convince people that its  for example Vandenbosche a press releases indicate that horse meat has half the fat and twice the Iron As beef. Quot in Light of the health spirit right now this is what we like to focus on Quot lie said. Gurickx said some customers come into his restaurant and say that their doctor has advised them to switch to horse meat. A a a a Al done to know if i believe that Quot lie said smiling. A but horse is like fish in its fat  the Public relations Campaign also notes that hormones used to Spur growth in cows and some other animals Are not used on horses. A a it a really useless to use hormones on horses Quot Vandenbosch said. A they done to have  effect As wit i  the Campaign also appeals to the pocketbook. A a it a cheaper than beef a he said. Whether a amp Mvi a Campaign succeeds horse meat will always have a place at de Kuiper. It does no to take a vivid imagination to get the picture about the chief entree at the Gurickx family a modest restaurant. The establishment with its tile floors and tables covered by oilcloth is filled wit i framed paintings of horses on its panelled Walls. De Kuiper was founded in 1859, but the Gurickx family did no to take Over until the Early 1960s the clientele has remained much the same since then. A a we re not doing bail at All a a a Gurickx said. A but economically a tradesman would do better with beef or pork than he does with  horse meat ban May Cost . Millions in european Export sales by David Tarrant a Brussels Bureau vile horde Belgium a eating horse meat May be taboo in America but american horse meat is big business in Europe. The United states is the leading exporter of horse meat to Europe sending 52,781 tons to Europe in 1989, according to figures published by the 12 nation european economic Community. That is twice As much As the second leading exporter of horse meat to Europe Argentina and represents almost half the horse meat imported by european nations. But the annual $132 million business for american companies could suffer big losses in 1991 As a result of a two month ban on imports of . Horse meat by the dec. That move came March 27 following the discovery of 19 cases of trichinosis in humans in France that investigators suspect came As a result of eating american horse meat. French officials banned . Horse meat March 20 and the dec followed suit officials from 12 . Companies including four in Texas that produce horse meat said their product is not the cause of the disease but so far no other nations horse meat has been singled out for import restrictions. The two month ban applies to fresh meat Only not the Frozen variety dec officials  which is More commonly acquired from eating insufficiently cooked pork is characterized by fever nausea diarrhoea and muscular pains. It is rarely found in horses said Wilhelm Zerk a spokesman for the . Meat Export federation a Trade association in Hamburg Germany. For that reason Zerk said he doubts the French cases came from eating american horse meat. A some people claim this May be due to eating horse meat. We All have our doubts but we done to want to get into a shouting match a Zerk said. A . Government source who declined to be identified said the disease May have been caused by eating uncooked horse meat which is a Type of dish common in France. Dec veterinary inspectors have visited each of the 12 . Horse meat plants and will determine whether to lift the ban after two months the . Official said. In general american horse meat is Given High Marks by butchers restaurant owners and others with a taste for the product. A the cleanest meat we get is from the United states a said Alfons Gurickx whose family runs de Kuiper a Small restaurant in the Brussels suburb of Vil Voorde that serves Only horse meat. A belgian Public relations firm hired by . Horse meat producers to promote their product claims the american meat is fresher than most because it is shipped to Europe by air. The pc ban is also hurting import Export companies in. Europe that work closely with . Horse meat producers said Christina Nauwelaerts a Legal adviser for one such company in Antwerp. A hopefully a said Nauwelaerts a a solution will be found in a Short