P&G CLOSER TO APPROVAL FOR NON-FATTENING FAT
By Adnews Staff
Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble is one-step closer to getting government approval for its fat substitute Olestra. Last week an advisory committee of the Food and Drug Administration recommended that P&G be allowed to use Olestra in snack foods such as potato and tortilla chips. The FDA plans on making its final decision within two months and will accept comments from the public until mid-January. The advisory committee recommended that Olestra chips come with a warning label and be fortified with vitamins. The consumer group Centre for Science in the Public Interest is opposed to the use of Olestra because it says it can cause diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems. It may challenge final approval of the product in court. If approved, Olestra chips will be tested in 1996. Olestra is a synthetic product made from sugar and vegetable oil which passes through the body without being digested or absorbed.