© 2026 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Our daily newsletter, delivered first thing weekdays, keeps you connected to your community with news, culture, national NPR headlines, and more.

Olestra Snacks

The controversial new fat substitute Olestra is making its way to supermarket shelves. The Food and Drug Administration approved Olestra earlier this year for use in snack foods such as chips and crackers. Proctor and Gamble, which makes Olestra, says it will allow people to eat potato chips without the fat. Critics say Olestra causes gastrointestinal distress, and robs the body of important nutrients. Frito Lay is the first to come out with a product line based on olestra. The company is now test marketing the chips in three cities around the country. NPR's Joe Palca travelled to one of those test cities, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to see what kind of reception Olestra was getting.

Copyright 1996 NPR

Thanks to you, WUSF is here — delivering fact-based news and stories that reflect our community.⁠ Your support powers everything we do.