This week, products containing olestra were made available to more of the country.Olestra, marketed by Proctor & Gamble Co. as Olean, is a fat-free cooking oil used in making products such as potato chips. P&G began using the oil in fat-free Pringles in 1996.Until this point, olestra products have been available only in the test markets of Columbus and Indianapolis. Now, they can be purchased in the Pacific Northwest and Northern California.”It’s been a hit with consumers,” said P&G spokeswoman Sydney McHugh. “We’ve been getting calls about the products from people that aren’t in test markets.”Despite the success of olestra products, there are some health concerns. There have been more than 2,000 reports of diarrhea, cramps and other gastrointestinal symptoms from consumers. “From a public health perspective, it is crazy to allow into the food supply an additive that will almost certainly cause an enormous amount of pain and discomfort,” said Mark Brown, the director of toxicology at the Center for Science in the Public Interest in a statement.Olestra also inhibits absorption of vitamins A, D, E, and K, according to the CSPI.The FDA responded to this concern by requiring that P&G add these vitamins to olestra products. The administration also requires a warning label on these products.”Don’t over-consume and it’s OK,” said professor of Food Science John Allred. “It’s fine if you eat a reasonable amount of it.”Potato chips fried in olestra contain no fat and 75 calories, compared to regular chips that have 10 grams of fat and 150 calories.”I think it gives some people options that they wouldn’t ordinarily have,” said Shirley Kendrick, an employee of Ohio State’s Comprehensive Weight Management Program. “It’s a nice snack, but it’s not something you should eat every day.”Pringles olestra chips that are currently available in Columbus will be on the market in Dayton, Toledo, and Cincinnati in early March. Nabisco and Frito-Lay are also using olestra in future products. By this summer, olestra products will be sold nationwide.