In 1996, Americans welcomed the arrival of olestra, the safe, "fat-free" fat substitute manufacturers used to fry chips and crispy snack foods while cutting the foods' calorie count. Olestra did have people rushing around in excitement, but not to the snack food aisles: the food additive proved to have embarrassing side effects, such as uncontrollable diarrhea. Olestra remains listed in the Code of Federal Regulation as a "safe" food additive as of May 2011. However, medical experts and consumer watchdog groups feel olestra isn't safe to consume.
About Olestra
Olestra was first devised by Procter & Gamble in the late 1960s not as a food additive for chips but as an ingredient that would help premature babies gain weight. The molecules in olestra are too large for your body to absorb or digest them; they pass right through your digestive tract. Proctor & Gamble first sought approval for olestra from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in May 1987; it wasn't approved until January 24, 1996 and only for use in chips, crackers and tortilla chips -- salty snacks. Even before olestra gained FDA approval, the CSPI and other groups, such as the American Public Health Association and National Women's Health Network, voiced concerns about the "fake fat's" safety. According to a January 1996 article published in "Time," the FDA's advisory committee determined that olestra was safe to consume -- even though eating it caused embarrassing and "inconvenient" side effects.
Side Effects
Olestra's potential side effects were less than pleasant and included gas, stomach cramps, diarrhea and anal leakage. By mid-June 1997, some 800 consumers complained to the FDA that chips with olestra made them ill. That number jumped to a total of 1,080 by December 1998. According to the CSPI, the sum total number of complaints filed with the FDA and Proctor & Gamble numbered 15,000. By the CSPI's estimations, around 100 people needed medical attention for their symptoms, and 40 went to the emergency room. One to two ounces of chips contained enough olestra to cause severe abdominal cramping and sudden onset of diarrhea. The CSPI goes on to note that consuming olestra resulted in a particularly embarrassing incident: the soiling of one's clothing.
Other Problems
Olestra isn't just capable of causing gastrointestinal distress; the fat substitute prevents your body from absorbing essential nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as carotenoids, nutrients may protect you from cancer and other diseases. Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. Meir Stampfer, representing the Harvard School of Public Health, indicated that they had good reason to believe that olestra's ill effects "will include increases in cancer, heart disease, stroke and blindness."
Olestra Today
The FDA still maintains that olestra is a safe food additive; however, all snacks that contain it must carry a label that states: "Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E and K have been added." Consumers seem to have figured out for themselves that snacks made with olestra aren't worth the hassle -- the CSPI notes that by 2002, the olestra phenomenon was on its way out. Olestra might almost be gone, but it's not entirely forgotten. In May 2010, "Time Magazine" listed olestra as one of the "50 Worst Inventions."
References
- Justia.com: 21 C.F.R. § 172.867
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Fake-fat Olestra Sickens Thousands; December 1998
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: A Brief History of Olestra
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: What the Experts Say About Olestra
- "Time Magazine"; Are We Ready for Fat-free fat?; M. Lemonick, et. al; January 1996
- "Time Magazine"; The 50 Worst Inventions; Chris Gentilviso; May 2010
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