Americans Will Eat Roofing Paper Happily In Their Snacks As Long as Snacks Are Fat-Free Dept: Olestra

Remember olestra? It's a fake fat, with no calories, approved by the FDA but linked to many cases of stomach cramps and diarrhea. Olestra also appears to deplete the body's fat-soluble vitamins. First used by Frito-Lay in its line of  Wow! chip products, olestra is still there, but since 2004 "Wow" has been called "Light,"  thus confusing snackers who thought they were avoiding olestra. Apparently, for many, frequent bathroom runs continued.

Over the long run, diarrhea can be a fairly effective weight loss tool, of course.  Just ask anyone with cholera.

(Above: Olestra molecule--a cry for help? The finger? Diagram from Elmhurst College, http://www.elmhurst.edu/)

The Center for Science in the Public Interest threatened to sue Frito-Lay unless it clearly labeled front and back the Tostitos, Lay's and Ruffles containing olestra. ( Olestra was listed as an ingredient, and Olean, the brand name of olestra, was on the front.)  Frito-Lay has agreed, according to yesterday's AP Story, and also made an unrestricted grant of $150,000 to Harvard Medical School's nutrition division.

Back in 2003, the FDA changed the labeling requirement for olestra, stating:

" The FDA concluded that the label statement was no longer warranted because:

"Real-life" consumption studies of products containing olestra showed olestra caused only infrequent, mild gastrointestinal (GI) effects. In fact, a 6-week study with more than 3,000 people showed that the group consuming olestra-containing chips experienced only a minor increase in bowel movement frequency compared to those people who consumed only full-fat chips.

• Post-market studies showed consumers are aware of olestra and its potential GI effects. "

Naturally the labeling change caused snack giants to introduce new lines of items containing the fake fat.

Here's Proctor & Gamble's pr output on Olean, developed by P&G and appropved by the FDA in 1996.  In the website's FAQ section, there's this:

"Olean is made from ingredients found in common foods like vegetable oil and sugar. Then, it’s processed in a way that adds zero fat to the snacks you love. Since Olean is not digested, it’s similar to eating foods like apples, corn and bran, where the insoluble fiber is not broken down by the body. So, when you eat Olean snacks, the Olean passes through the digestive tract without adding any dietary fat or calories. And, because Olean molecules are much larger than those of ordinary fats, the body's digestive enzymes cannot break them down. " ( Foodie is trying for the jaundiced effect up there, just for emphasis.)

Here's how the Center for Science in the Public Interest reports on olestra.

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[Toronto Roofing Company]

Sgpork The first time young Foodie tasted mussels ( drowned in marinara sauce,) was in New York's Little Italy during the San Gennaro Festival celebrated in September along Mulberry Street.