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Tuesday, Sep. 8, 1998
Picnickers debate value of new fat substitute
Since fat-free munchies often resemble the regular kind, olestra objectors want to be warned
Associated Press
NEW YORK - The latest debate over controversial fat substitute olestra is being battled out around the nation's picnic tables.
The line has already been drawn between those who will eat the fat-free munchies and those who won't. At weekend barbecues, the argument rages over whether hosts should inform their guests before serving them olestra snacks.
Like regular and decaffeinated coffee, some believe that guests should be given a choice.
``I want to know that's its made with olestra before I put it in my mouth,'' said Glenn Burnham, a 34-year-old engineer from Framingham, Mass., who unknowingly ate some olestra potato chips at a summer barbecue and then had severe stomach pain.
``When the chips look like regular chips and taste like regular chips, someone needs to say, `These aren't regular chips,' '' he said.
Buy a bag of chips made with olestra, and there's a warning of its possible side effects right on the package. Serve the same chips alongside the burgers and cole slaw, and few will even realize what they are eating.
Although the Food and Drug Administration first approved the use of olestra in salty snacks in 1996 - with a warning on the packages - products containing the synthetic fat weren't launched nationally until this year.
Frito-Lay uses olestra for its WOW! line of potato and corn chips sold under the Lay's, Ruffles, Doritos and Tostitos names. Procter & Gamble uses it for its Olean Pringles. Nabisco uses olestra in fat free crackers.
Olestra is a synthetic chemical made of sugar and vegetable oil. It tastes like normal fat, but passes through the body undigested, contributing no fat calories to the diet. Foods made with the substance were an instant hit and have developed a loyal following among those interested in a fat-free diet.
In fact, Frito-Lay's rollout of its olestra-based chips was the No. 1 product launch of the 1990s, topping the 1993 debut of Nabisco's Snackwell's, according to a survey conducted by Chicago-based Information Resources, a market research firm.
P&G claims Americans on average eat about 22 pounds of salty snacks a year each and there is a tremendous benefit in switching from the full-fat variety to fat free.
``The votes are in and consumers have spoken. This is a choice that they want and they love these chips,'' said Bryan McCleary, spokesman for Cincinnati-based P&G.
But should a host make that decision for his or her guests? Should a supermarket offer samples without first telling shoppers that the cracker is made with olestra?
It's long been a controversial substance, and the FDA requires a warning label on olestra products that reads: ``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.''
In June, a FDA advisory committee reaffirmed the safety of olestra and found there was a ``reasonable certainty of no harm.''
Miriam Sawyer didn't hesitate to serve chips made with olestra at a barbecue earlier this summer at her Leonia, N.J., home. She likes them and they've never made her sick.
``No one complained and everyone thought they were good,'' said Sawyer, who didn't mention to her guests what they had eaten until well into the party and only did so after her daughter encouraged her to tell.
``Anything in moderation can't be bad,'' she said. ``There are people who eat regular potato chips and get sick.''
With opinions so diverse, some people are taking matters into their own hands - before dipping them into the snack bowl.
``Now, I'll always ask'' what kind of chips are offered, said Burnham, the partygoer from Massachusetts. ``But to make it easier, I think that manufacturers should put some harmless food coloring in the olestra chips. Then we could really tell.''Post your comments about local news eventsFront Page || Main Index || News || Business || Texas || South Texas Outdoors || Birdwatching || Sports || Entertainment || Selena || Education || South Texas Attractions || World Wide Web