Olestra (also known by its brand name Olean) is a fat substitute food additive that adds no metabolizable calories to products. It has been used in the preparation of otherwise high-fat foods, thereby lowering or eliminating their fat content.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved olestra for use in the US as a replacement for fats and oils in prepackaged ready-to-eat snacks in 1996, and were discontinued by 2016.

Pringles Light potato crisps, manufactured by Kellogg's (though at one time a P&G product), used Olean-brand olestra before being discontinued in 2015.

Side effects

Starting in 1996, an FDA-mandated health warning label reads "This Product Contains Olestra. Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. Olestra inhibits the absorption of some vitamins and other nutrients. Vitamins A, D, E, and K have been added".

From a mechanical point of view, scientists were able to manipulate the compound in such a way that it could be used in place of cooking oils in the preparation of many types of food.

  • History of olestra
  • "Case studies and the chemistry of olestra", Kennesaw State University
  • Consumer Affairs report on Frito-Lay litigation
  • Center for Science in the Public Interest: Various articles on Olestra (1999–2006)