OLEAN; ZERO FAT : ZERO INTEREST; PUBLIC RELUCTANT TO BUY PRODUCTS WITH FAT FREE SUBSTITUTE.Byline: John Nolan For a 19th century American congressman, see . John Nolan is the lead singer of Straylight Run and the former lead guitarist/co-vocalist of Taking Back Sunday. Biography Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. It seemed like a sure thing: a no-fat ingredient that makes food taste as good as the more fat-laden real thing. But Procter & Gamble Co. has not had a sure thing with olestra olestra Sucrose polyester, Olean® A proprietary synthetic–no-calorie fat, approved by the FDA–for use in savory snack foods–eg, tortilla chips, potato chips, and crackers; Side effects GI discomfort including cramps, diarrhea; it , which it spent more than $200 million and 25 years developing. The product, which had a splashy splash·y adj. splash·i·er, splash·i·est 1. Making or likely to make splashes. 2. Covered with splashes of color. 3. Showy; ostentatious. See Synonyms at showy. but controversial debut three years ago under the market name Olean, may provide P&G less than half the $900 million in sales the company projected for the product by the end of this year. Durk Jager, P&G's chief executive, told analysts in June that production at the $250 million plant that makes olestra had fallen 30 percent to 40 percent below expectations. P&G won't comment on reasons for the disappointment, but some analysts link it to changes in public attitudes. Others point to the possible gastrointestinal side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. . ``I think that Procter & Gamble . . . missed the shift from diet-based to health-based decisions, with taste still being the priority. I think consumers who thought they were going to be excited about it weren't. It wasn't great. It was just OK,'' said Mona Doyle, president of Consumer Network, a Philadelphia-based market research firm. ``When olestra was introduced, we were at the culmination of fat is the big evil. Today, we're not into fat is the big evil any more.'' Studies say more Americans are fat, and at least some don't seem to mind. ``In the '90s, we are in self-acceptance,'' said Carol Moog, a clinical psychologist and president of Creative Focus in suburban Philadelphia, who consults with companies on their marketing. ``Some people are going back to high-fat products, like premium ice creams. They're saying, we've had it.'' The reluctance to embrace olestra also may be related to its potential side effects, spelled out on warning labels required on snacks made with the fake fat: may cause ``abdominal cramping cramping see cramp. and loose stools.'' Since the Food and Drug Administration approved olestra for use in salted snack foods A list of snack foods is shown below. For more information, see snack foods. List of snack foods Chips (Crisps)
the slight graying of the haircoat around the face, particularly muzzle, in dogs with aging and as a regular feature of some breeds such as the Belgian shepherd dog. , salad dressing and other items. P&G spokeswoman Sydney McHugh said the company plans to focus on expanding the kinds of salted snack foods made with olestra. She would not say when the company will seek FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. permission to market Olean for use in other food categories, but did say it will continue to evaluate Olean's long-term possibilities. P&G has touted olestra as being able to give foods the taste, texture and ``mouth feel'' of fat, while not being absorbed into the body. But that has not led to widespread consumer demand because ``it's an ingredient in search of a product,'' said Alan Brew, a partner at Addison Branding & Communications, a San Francisco-based corporate image consultant. A consumer advocacy organization that fought olestra's market approval and lobbied for a stronger product warning says olestra hasn't attracted a consumer following because it is viewed as unhealthy. An olestra alternative that has all the benefits without the side effects is being developed but isn't likely to hit the shelves for years, said Kwaku Addo, a University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also referred to as UK, is a public, co-educational university located in Lexington, Kentucky. associate professor of nutrition and food science. Addo has been combining dehydrated de·hy·drate v. de·hy·drat·ed, de·hy·drat·ing, de·hy·drates v.tr. 1. To remove water from; make anhydrous. 2. To preserve by removing water from (vegetables, for example). fruit powders, which are used in some bakery products as fat-replacement ingredients, with a small amount of a substance similar in chemical structure to olestra. ``At this stage, I don't want to be overly optimistic,'' Addo said. ``You never know until you're done.'' Meanwhile, many shoppers brush off the warning and buy snacks with olestra. Vicki Park has been buying four bags of Wow! chips for her family each week since they hit the market and said her family hasn't experienced any of olestra's possible side effects. Seven years ago, Park weighed 315 pounds before she cut fats from her diet to lose 180 pounds. Now, she said, she can enjoy some of those foods without fear of regaining the weight. ``I had to cut out snack foods completely. They were the products I enjoyed eating, and I really missed that,'' said Park of Pleasant Grove Pleasant Grove or Pleasant Groves is the name of several communities in the United States: Municipalities in the United States:
CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Vicki Park of Pleasant Grove, Ala., who lost 180 pounds by eliminating fat from her diet, buys four bags of chips with olestra each week. Jay Sailors/Associated Press |
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