In a recent advertisement placed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Columbus residents have been referred to as Procter and Gamble’s guinea pigs for its new ‘Fat Free’ Pringles chips.Columbus was chosen as a test market because it is a good place to test market products, said Jacqui d’Eon, manager of Corporate Communications at Proctor and Gamble.The center has claimed the controversial fake fat, olestra, that the chips are made with may cause diarrhea, loose stools, cramps, gas and fecal urgency. ‘The Food and Drug Administration heard all of these allegations at the time it (olestra) was up for approval,’ d’Eon said, ‘They chose to approve it.’The Food Advisory Committee Hearings were held in November 1995 and olestra was approved by a vote of 15-6, she said.’The research done on olestra by Proctor and Gamble encompasses over 25 years,’ d’Eon said. ‘There are 150,000 pages written on olestra. It is one of, if not the most tested ingredients to be approved for use.’ Shirley Kindrick, program director of Comprehensive Weight Management at the Ohio State University Medical Center, said her patients are amazed with the taste.They are very positive about the product and no patients have experienced adverse side effects from the chips, Kindrick said. People may experience side effects because of fear. ‘They think ‘oh my gosh’ this is going to happen and it does,’ she said.It takes one or two days to see the side effects of olestra because it has to get through the digestive system and this takes a long time, Kindrick said.Kindrick cautioned that the chips are fine as long as they are consumed in moderation.’Food is fun as long as we moderate our portions and as long as the chips are not used as a replacement for whole grains, fruits and vegetables,’ she said.The usage of olestra has been approved for salty or savory snacks, such as potato chips or crackers, d’Eon said.’The unique thing about olestra is that it looks like fat, tastes like fat and cooks like fat,’ she said.’It is made from fat but in such a way that it is not digested or absorbed by the body.’ she said. ‘It passes through the body.’Since olestra passes through the body, it has a tendency to soften some individuals’ stool consistency, d’Eon said. This is similar to what happens when you go on a high fiber diet.The dining commons have no plans to stock the Fat Free Pringles chips, said Pat Conner, food system coordinator of Housing Food Services.’As controversial as it is, I can’t imagine getting involved in it until the controversy dies down,’ Conner said.’I’d rather error on the side of over caution,’ she said. ‘We can’t take any risk that takes any chances because there are so many people that we feed.’