FDA Panel Decides Olestra Chips Safe but Backs Warning

Potato chips containing the fat substitute olestra do not cause significant health problems, but the snacks should continue to carry a label warning consumers that it may cause cramps and diarrhea, a Food and Drug Administration panel said Wednesday.

The recommendation was a victory for Procter & Gamble Co., the maker of olestra, which received permission two years ago to market the product.

A consumer advocacy group, Center for Science in the Public Interest, had complained that olestra tended to block absorption of vitamins and nutrients called carotenoids, possibly leading to heart disease, cancer or blindness.

But the 17-member FDA panel said it is too early to tell whether carotenoids are essential in offering protection from chronic disease.

Olestra is used by P&G;, Nabisco and PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay as a fat substitute in chips and snacks.