Beware of Rectal Leakage!

In 1968 the world was an exciting place, full of hope and promise for a future in which the marriage of science with a burgeoning consumer economy would deliver countless innovations that would transform our lives. In 1968, Procter and Gamble were one of the many companies riding this exciting wave of hope and innovation and accordingly, in that year they introduced their latest product; "Olestra".

Procter and Gamble are an American company built on candles and soap and are culturally prominent for the phrase; "soap opera", which originated through their sponsorship of radio serials in the 1920's and 1930's. With Olestra in 1968, they hoped to capitalise on the newly emerging "diet food" craze by presenting a low-fat synthetic alternative to naturally-derived cooking oils. In America it took Procter and Gamble nearly 30 years to get the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) to approve Olestra, but in 1996 they got their approval and from 1998 Olestra started appearing in products, notably in Frito Lay's "WOW" branded potato chips (which were later rebranded as "Light") and P&G's "Pringles-Fat-Free" potato chips.

One of the mandates the FDA insisted on however, was that the packaging of these potato chips display a warning to the effect that the cooking oil; Olestra, produces a number of unpleasant side effects including abdominal cramping and Rectal Leakage.

Yes, Rectal Leakage.

That does mean what you think it means.

Perhaps understandably the addition of this label was seen to impact negatively on the sales of these products, so in 2003 the FDA withdrew the requirement. The products are still on the market, they are still cooked in Olestra, but today Frito Lay's website contains no reference to either abdominal cramping or rectal leakage, and markets these products under the compelling slogan; "Good Food for the Fun of it!"

My sentiments exactly ... it's pretty hard to find anything more fun than diarrhoea.

Welcome to the 21st Century, where, if we want to be thin, we can still shovel down bucketloads of tasty snack foods, and all we have to put up with in consequence is a bit of Rectal Leakage!

Onward we bravely march!