FDA OKs Fat Substitute in Frozen Dessert

The Food and Drug Administration today cleared the use in frozen desserts of Simplesse, a fat substitute made from milk and egg proteins, marking a major breakthrough in the diet food industry.

Simplesse, developed by NutraSweet Co., a subsidiary of St. Louis-based Monsanto Co., is the first fat substitute to be approved in the American market.

The introduction of NutraSweet, the artificial sweeetener used in soft drinks, by G. D. Searle & Co., another Monsanto subsidiary, revolutionized the diet soft drink industry.

Nutrasweet was approved for use in cereals and other dry foods in 1981 and for use in diet sodas in 1983.

Simplesse is expected to become a blockbuster product, commanding a potential multibillion-dollar market, according to securities analysts. It will initially be used in frozen desserts.

It has the taste and texture of fat but with 80% fewer calories.

News of the approval sparked a leap in the stock of Monsanto, which is expected to reap a handsome profit from the fat substitute. Monsanto’s stock rose $4.25 to $112.125 in active mid-morning trading.

Simplesse is made of egg and milk proteins that make uncooked foods taste as if they are rich in fat. But it cannot be used in cooked foods such as cakes and pies.

To alert people who may be allergic to the milk and egg proteins, the FDA will require that these be listed on the ingredient labels of foods that contain Simplesse, an FDA spokesman said.

A rival fat substitute still pending before the FDA, Olestra, is made by Procter & Gamble. But that product is said to be far from final agency approval because of questions over its long-term safety.

Olestra, though made from fat, reduces caloric intake when substituted for other dietary fats because it passes through the digestive tract without breaking down.

It also has the advantage of being suitable for cooked foods such as baked goods.

Though the initial marketing application was for use of Simplesse only in frozen desserts, the company said the product could also eventually be used in salad dressing, mayonnaise, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, dips, margarine and butter and cheese spreads.