A Food and Drug Administration advisory com-mittee has overwhelmingly reaffirmed the safety of a fake fat used in some chips and crackers.
Fifteen of the 18 members of the food safety advisory board present during the polling Wednesday agreed with the statement that there is a "reasonable certainty of no harm" from olestra. Two members declined to endorse the statement and one member abstained.The action by the independent experts rejected the contention by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a consumer advocacy group, that there is a health hazard for people eating snack foods made with olestra.
The group contended that olestra caused gas, bloating, diarrhea and nausea, and that it blocked absorption of some nutrients.
The FDA approved the use of olestra in potato chips and crackers in 1996 but required continued health evaluation studies by Procter & Gamble and potato chip maker Frito-Lay. The advisory board meeting was held to present the results of the studies conducted over the last 30 months.
Olestra is used in some potato and corn chips made by Frito-Lay, Fat Free chips made by Procter & Gamble and in Fat Free Nabisco Crackers.