FDA Approves Fat Substitute, Olestra

摘要

Stop the presses! I've been waiting for the opportunity to shout out these three little words ever since the day I became an editor—more than 30 years ago. Finally, the opportunity came. Just as this issue was going to press, a news release came through on our PRNewswire service. The release, dated 01/24/ 96, announced that the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of olestra—a fat-based substitute for conventional fats—in certain snack foods. FDA's decision was based on a thorough review of nearly three decades of research and development data, including more than 150 long- and short-term safety studies involving more than 8,000 men, women, and children. In addition to FDA, some of North America's foremost safety experts and physicians have scrutinized the olestra research data and confirm that it can be safely used in foods.