The Problems with Olestra

DON'T BUY THESE PRODUCTS --THEY CONTAIN OLESTRA!

Frito-Lay's WOW chips, including:

Original Lay's

Ruffles

Cooler Ranch Doritos

Nacho Cheesier Doritos

Lay's Mesquite Bar-B-Q

Tostitos

Procter & Gamble's Pringles brand chips, including:

Fat-Free Pringles

Fat-Free Bar-B-Q Pringles

Fat-Free Sour Cream and Onion Pringles

Other Brands:

Yes Potato Chips

Rave Potato Chips

What the Experts Say About Olestra: Quotes from Prominent Doctors and Scientists

"Olestra = Mineral oil.... I believe this is another hoax and deception being foisted on ... the American people." Dr. Sheldon Margen, Public Health Nutrition, U. of California, Berkeley

"... would constitute a public health time-bomb." Dr. John S. Bertram, Cancer Research Center of Hawaii (U. Hawaii)

"This substance has the potential to do significant harm." Dr. Ernst J. Schaefer, U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

"We are concerned about the high incidences of gastrointestinal effects, ranging from diarrhea to fecal urgency, that are caused by the consumption of modest levels of olestra." Dr. Mark Donowitz, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

"It would be inappropriate to approve the use of olestra at this time." Dr. Mark Hegsted, Harvard Medical School and former chief of human nutrition at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

"The bowel disturbances and impaired absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, including carotenoids ... are sufficient reasons to have serious reservations about this food additive and to recommend that it not be introduced as a food additive." Dr. Ian Greaves, University of Minnesota School of Public Health

"... clear folly to introduce this product into the diet of children." Dr. Herbert Needleman, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

"There are too many unanswered questions remaining about the safety and long-term public health consequences of olestra consumption. Therefore, the American Public Health Association does not support approval for olestra at this time." Dr. Fernando Treviño, American Public Health Association

"Even low levels of harm should not be tolerated when introducing new product into the food supply.... For olestra, the harm appears substantial. We would argue strongly that the FDA should not approve olestra for use in foods, nor should it be allowed into the U.S. food supply." Drs. John D. Potter and Johanna Lampe, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle

"... the adverse effects of [olestra] outweigh its potential benefits." Jerianne Heimendinger, Cancer Research Center, Denver, and former director of the National Cancer Institute's 5 A Day for Better Health Program

"Olestra -- even in limited use -- can be potentially harmful to the public.... I do not believe that our society can afford such a risk [of macular degeneration]." Dr. Norman Krinsky, Tufts University School of Medicine

"... there is strong reason to suspect that the effects [of olestra] will include increases in cancer, heart disease, stroke, and blindness." Drs. Walter Willett and Meir Stampfer, Harvard School of Public Health (endorsed by 25 other nutrition experts)

"These estimates clearly demonstrate that the magnitude of carotenoid reduction demonstrated in controlled feeding studies of olestra could potentially produce a large number of deaths annually and major morbidity in the U.S. population.... We ... strongly encourage you [Dr. Kessler] to avoid submitting the U.S. population, including children and pregnant women, to a massive uncontrolled experiment with potentially disastrous consequences." Drs. Walter Willett and Meir Stampfer, Harvard School of Public Health

Olestra Quiz

Anyone thinking about eating olestra-laden Frito-Lay's Wow chips or Procter & Gamble's Fat Free Pringles, might first want to try this quiz.

Q. In Procter & Gamble's own studies, what effect did olestra have on diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramps, and other gastrointestinal cramps?
A. Olestra caused two- to eight-fold increases in various gastrointestinal symptoms.

Q. How severe have been the diarrhea and cramps attributed to Frito-Lay's olestra snacks?
A. One man said it felt like he was trying to pass a softball that wouldn't move. A woman said it was like labor pain. An 11-year-old boy had diarrhea for three days. Several people developed "fecal urgency" in the middle of the night but didn't get to the bathroom in time. Adults and children have defecated in their clothing. An elderly woman could not leave her house for three days for fear of "having to go." At least 37 people have gone to the emergency room because of symptoms they attributed to olestra.

Q. What was the longest controlled study on children, and what was the maximum amount of olestra eaten by children?
A. 7 days. The children were given less than the equivalent of one ounce of potato chips per day.

Q. In the two key controlled studies on olestra, how many people were under 18 and over 44?
A. None

Q. Olestra interferes with the absorption of nutrients called carotenoids. What value do medical experts see in carotenoids?
A. They likely reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and macular degeneration (blindness).

Q. How many deaths due to heart disease and cancer might olestra cause if it replaced the vegetable oil in all snack foods?
A. Dr. Meir Stampfer, professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, has estimated that regular consumption over a period of years of olestra snacks could cause thousands of deaths due to cancer and heart disease each year.

Q. How long was the longest study on the effect of olestra on carotenoids?
A. 8 weeks, a period considered far too brief by many experts

Q. How many experts on carotenoids served on the government's advisory committee that recommended approval of olestra?
A. None at the first meeting; one at the second meeting.

Q. Of the 17 advisory committee members who initially recommended approval of olestra (5 advisors opposed approval), how many had affiliations with the food industry?
A. At least 9 of the 17 have been consultants to or otherwise associated with Nabisco, Pillsbury, and the Sugar Association, as well as the food-industry funded International Food Information Council and the International Life Sciences Institute.

Q. Such eminently credentialed doctors as Louis Sullivan (former Secretary of DHHS), William Klish (chairman of the American Academy of Pediatrics nutrition committee), John Foreyt (University of Houston), Gil Omenn (University of Michigan), and Wayne Callaway (George Washington University Medical School), as well as the American Dietetic Association, have all endorsed the safety of olestra. What else do they have in common?
A. They have all served as paid consultants to, or received grants from, Procter & Gamble.

Q. How much are Procter & Gamble and Frito-Lay spending to persuade Americans that Pringles and Wow chips made with olestra are safe and tasty?
A. P&G is spending $100 million in 1998 and Frito-Lay is spending over $30 million, according to Advertising Age.

Q. What should people choose if they want to eat low-fat potato chips or tortilla chips?
A. Not Fat Free Pringles or Frito-Lay's Wow chips! Instead, eat a tasty and safe alternative, such as Lay's Baked Potato Chips or Tostitos, Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips, or similar product. Those products are all baked.