GROUP CALLS FAT SUBSTITUTE UNSAFE

LYNN KUNTZ

WASHINGTON -- The Center for Science in the Public Interest, the same group that criticized the fat content of movie popcorn, Chinese food and fettucine Alfredo, has just taken aim at a new target. It's olestra, the yet-to-be-approved fat substitute developed by Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati.

The group charged that the ingredient is unsafe and is calling for the Food and Drug Administration to deny approval of its use in foods. After reviewing P&G's research, CSPI claimed that consumption of even relatively small amounts of olestra creates a number of harmful effects. They include depletion of fat-soluble vitamins and a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea.

"Olestra is an unfit substance for human consumption," said Michael Jacobson, CSPI's executive director. He described it as "the first food with a negative nutritional value."

P&G countered by saying that the conclusions made by the group are erroneous. "It is clear that CSPI's allegations aren't based in reality and stem from a misinterpretation of our findings," said Gordon Brunner, P&G's senior vice president of research and development.

The consumer group claims that olestra causes fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) to be excreted from the body without being absorbed. P&G acknowledges that this occurs to a certain extent and plans to fortify products containing olestra to compensate for this effect.

CSPI also pointed to a study that indicated olestra can reduce the blood concentration of carotenoids such as beta-carotene. P&G holds that the effect of olestra on carotenoids is within normal fluctuations that can occur as a result of the variations in food consumption. P&G claims olestra will have no effect on overall health or nutrition.

"We need to put the data into perspective," said C. Wayne Callaway, an expert in clinical nutrition at George Washington University and a P&G adviser. "Many foods interact with each other in our bodies. Eating the amount of fiber currently recommended can reduce beta-carotene by 50%. Because we eat a variety of foods, these interactions do not upset our nutritional well-being."

To answer the claim that olestra causes digestive problems, P&G said the study in question involved only 17 people and that a larger and longer study contradicts this claim. It cited a study involving more than 3,000 consumers over a period of five months that shows the effects are no different among people who eat olestra snacks and those consuming full-fat snacks.

This controversy arises on the eve of an FDA advisory panel review of the data scheduled for the middle of this month. According to a P&G official, this review is considered the last big hurdle before the product receives approval for use in snacks such as potato chips and tortilla chips. The company submitted the product for FDA approval more than eight years ago.

"We are confident that once the FDA completes its careful review it will approve olestra," said Brunner.