FAKE FOODS

Can you really fool mother nature and eat all the ice cream, potato chips, and French fries you want with out any harm?

   According to the Wall Street Journal, Procter & Gamble Co. is currently seeking FDA approval of an artificial fat substitute called Olestra. The potential earning of such a fake food in our weight oriented culture is astounding. This product tastes like regular shortening or oils in foods, but is not real food. The attraction: fewer calories and grams of fat.

   While the company says there are four decades of research indicating the product’s safety, P & G’s own testing indicates a possible link between Olestra and liver damage, stillbirths, pituitary tumors, and leukemia (that’s some trade off for a few calories!). While they claim this is “statistically insignificant,” the FDA is doing their own tests. This makes Olestra 2-3 years away from the grocery shelves. However, it’s competition, Simplesse, looks to be heading for stores within the year.

   Simplesse is a product of the NutraSweet lab and differs from the original fat substitute in that it is made from egg and milk proteins, ingredients already found in foods. The product has one major drawback: unlike Olestra, Simplesse can only be used in cold foods, like ice cream and salad dressing, because it breaks down when heated.

   Proctor and Gamble is mounting a large scale marketing campaign aimed at doctors and consumers. They hope to convince the public of the safety and value of the substance in much the same way that NutraSweet was introduced a few years ago.

   Fortunately, for those of us who wish to stay away from fake foods, there are still the real things. And if we are active and have a good diet, eating these good quality natural fats will only be good for us.

  (For an more in-depth article on the good side of fats, see the A.K. HEALTH Bulletin, March 1989.)