Why Is Olestra Banned In Europe But Not The US?

Olestra, also called Olean, is a synthetic fat once hailed as a groundbreaking alternative to regular fat in food products. Developed by Procter and Gamble researchers in 1968, it stood out because it wasn't absorbable by the digestive system and, therefore, distributed no calories. P&G suggested replacing regular fats in food with olestra to lower the risk of heart disease and help people lose weight. Unfortunately, this revolutionary additive came with many downsides, which led to it being banned in the European Union but not in the United States.

Created from sucrose and vegetable oil at a cost of something like $500 million over 30 years, olestra was approved by the FDA in 1996. Initially, the P&G product was used in Lay's WOW brand of chips, released in 1998, but consumers began reporting several issues, including side effects like cramping, loose bowels, diarrhea, and gas, shortly after consuming the popular snacks. This led to a hearing after a consumer group called for the ban of olestra as a fat substitute. However, after a three-day hearing, the FDA advisers nearly all agreed that the additive was safe. The same conclusion wasn't found in the EU and Canada, where the additive was banned. 

While the FDA initially required a warning label on products made with olestra, explaining the potential side effects of cramping and loose stools, this was reversed in 2003 after the organization decided the label was misleading and unnecessarily alarming. A year later, Frito-Lay rebranded its WOW chips to Lay's Light, leading to a lawsuit after a woman from Massachusetts began suffering severe cramps and diarrhea after consumption. The woman claimed she would not have bought the chips had she known they contained olestra and asked the court to reinstate the warning labels. In 2008, the company did relent and added "made with Olean" (Olean is the brand name of olestra) to packets of Lay's Light. 

Although Lay's Light chips were discontinued in 2016 and olestra has been largely phased out of use, the question still remains just how bad it is and why the FDA failed to ban it when the EU and Canada did. Following its initial approval by the FDA, Michael F. Jacobson, the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, told The Washington Post that the additive would cause gastrointestinal problems and possibly cancer in the long run. However, FDA Commissioner David Kessler hit back, stating that olestra was safe and that any associated issues "may be annoying to some people," but the additive wouldn't have been approved if any safety concerns had been found. 

In 1997, the University of Connecticut reviewed all studies related to claims of gastrointestinal side effects and concluded that olestra produced no pathological change in bowel function but that the issues were more likely when large amounts were consumed. A few years later, in 1999, a double-blind study was conducted with 3,181 subjects. A study group of 1,620 people was given snacks with olestra, while a control group of 1,561 was given a placebo. This study found cramping and diarrhea were the same between the two groups, but those with the placebo actually reported more symptoms. Findings like these contributed to the FDA's conclusion that olestra didn't warrant banning.

So, what's the truth? Well, unlike the beloved Kinder Suprise eggs, which the FDA ruled a choking hazard, the effects of olestra seem to depend on the amount consumed. Today, olestra is permitted to be used in ready-to-eat savory snacks and unpopped popcorn. However, to compensate for interference with the absorption of vitamins, all foods containing olestra must have vitamins A, D, E, and K added. That said, you're probably better off just making your own potato chips and cutting out additives altogether.