The controversy over Olestra springs from the effort to find a safe and tasty substitute for fat. On one side are con sumer groups like the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which say Olestra could interfere with the proper absor nutrients. On the other is P&G which has spent an estimated $300 promoting and developing the substance as a safe and versatile wunderfat. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration in January for use in so-called savory snacks, the additive could wind up in everything from doughnuts to french fries if the FDA OK’s it for use in other products. But much to P&G’s dismay, the FDA insists that products made with Olestra carry a disclaimer alerting consumers that it may cause loose stools and abdominal cramping. “The question is whether people can look past all the problems,” says Jack Trout, a Greenwich, Conn., marketing consultant. “It’s not something you want to be trumpeting-less fat, more diarrhea.” And the CSPI has gone so far as to launch its own 800 hot line to query chip eaters about their reactions to the new Max chips, partly to serve as a counter to Procter & Gamble’s own toll-free information service.
In its effort to counter all this negative publicity, P&G is counting on one big trump card: taste. Only the most discriminating of palates can tell the difference between conventional potato chips, which have about 160 calories an ounce and 10 grams offat, and Olestra-made chips, which have 75 calories and zero fat. Says Coriahna Rude, a college student who taste-tested the snacks: “They have a bit of an aftertaste, but if you’re shoving them in, it doesn’t matter.”
In Grand Junction and other test markets, Frito-Lay is trying to get shoppers’ minds off the press accounts and onto their taste buds. The new chips are being pushed with everything from giveaways to blind taste tests. Cedar Rapids residents were treated to minibags of the chips hanging on their doorknobs. And when they went to their local groceries for free samples, dietitians were on hand to answer questions. Store managers are reporting strong sales in all test markets. But since many of the purchases were driven by coupons and one-time pro, motions, Olestra’s fate may not be known for 18 months.
While Frito-Lay awaits test-market results, P&G is concentrating on downplaying Olestra’s bad press. It is lobbying the FDA to soften the wording on package labels on the ground that any high-fiber food eaten in excess can produce adverse effects. And it is set to introduce an Olestra version of its popular Pringles potato chips sometime in the next few months. Will those moves be enough to persuade other manufacturers to jump into the Olestra pool? Nabisco is considering using Olestra in its Ritz crackers. But it could be months or even years before the zerocalorie fat shows up in other products. In the meantime, the industry will be watching to see how the chips fall at Frito-Lay.
