-- CSPI Issues Report on 187 Victims --

At a press conference today in Columbus, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) released a report on almost 200 people whose symptoms were reported to the group's Olestra Hot Line.

Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of CSPI, said, "The calls we have received on our Olestra Hot Line -- 1-888-OLESTRA -- represent the tip of the iceberg. Fat Free Pringles has probably caused many thousands of Ohioans to suffer abdominal cramps and diarrhea. Fortunately, though, none of the victims who contacted us has suffered permanent harm.

"It is particularly distressing that some people suffered such severe symptoms that they were forced to go to the emergency room. If Fat Free Pringles and other foods made with Olean were ever marketed nationally, thousands of consumers would suffer the same fate."

One apparent sufferer of olestra poisoning, 25-year-old Alvin Kowalsky, ate about three ounces (half a can) of Fat Free Pringles. He said at the press conference, "One to two hours after eating the chips I developed abdominal cramps so severe I was doubled over with pain. I had loose stools, then watery diarrhea. I vomited several times over the next several days. I went to the emergency room of Madison County Hospital, where I was given a blood test and a prescription painkiller. I missed two days of work, and for the next week or so I was greatly inconvenienced at work because I had to make frequent trips to the bathroom."

Another victim, represented at the press conference by her husband, was a 59-year-old woman who is confined to a wheel chair (she suffers paralysis not related to Pringles). She suffered diarrhea for several days after eating Fat Free Pringles. Her husband had to change her clothing, bedding, and adult diapers countless times. He said, "It's terrible that potato chips could cause such a problem. We didn't see the notice on the back of the can. After all, you expect foods to be safe; you don't expect to have to look for a warning label."

A 23-year-old single mother, Johannah Blosser, told reporters, "I ate about three ounces of Fat Free Pringles. An hour or two later I began developing abdominal cramps so severe I couldn't walk, as well as watery diarrhea. I went to the emergency room of St. Anne's Hospital in Westerville where doctors attributed my symptoms to olestra and gave me prescription painkillers. I had just started a new job so couldn't afford to miss work, but I was greatly inconvenienced by having to make frequent trips to the bathroom." She said her father also experienced symptoms from eating the Pringles, but they were less severe than her symptoms.

A 20-year-old Ohio State University student, who was not at the press conference, said she went to the emergency room after eating six ounces of Fat Free Pringles over two or three days. She said, "Though symptoms first developed an hour or two after first eating six chips, I didn't connect the chips to the symptoms. Then I developed severe, persistent diarrhea, weakness, and other symptoms. I went to the Urgent Care Unit of Student Health Services, where I was given a prescription for Imodium, a drug to treat diarrhea, and was told to take vitamins to make up for nutrient losses. I missed several classes."

CSPI's report to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 187 individuals describes the symptoms olestra most often appeared to cause. Of those 187 people, 157 (84 percent) reported suffering abdominal cramps, and 153 (82 percent) reported diarrhea. Other people reported fecal urgency, incontinence, gas, and vomiting. One report came from a family in which both parents and all five children developed cramps and diarrhea.

Sixty-four people reported having suffered severe symptoms. Thirty-three suffered abdominal cramps and eight people diarrhea. Some of those people missed school or work; others had to stop driving. Several people did not make it to the bathroom in time.

Jacobson said that it wasn't possible to prove that these individuals' symptoms were caused by olestra. But the symptoms are the same as those reported in Procter & Gamble's own controlled clinical studies. It was those studies that the FDA relied upon when it approved olestra with the label notice stating: "Olestra may cause abdominal cramping and loose stools."

CSPI has received a total of almost 300 reports from 300 Ohioans who were apparently affected by olestra. Jacobson said, "It's remarkable that we received so many reports considering that two of the major TV stations refused to accept our paid message. If we had the same resources and access to the media to publicize our toll-free number as Procter & Gamble has to advertise its product, I suspect that we would have received thousands of reports.

"The Ohio Department of Health should be urging people not to eat Fat Free Pringles and to report symptoms if they ate the product and got sick."

CSPI has petitioned the FDA to revoke its approval of olestra or, at the very least, to require a more prominent and strongly worded warning label. CSPI has also petitioned the Federal Trade Commission to require the FDA-required label notice in all advertising for products that contain olestra.

Procter & Gamble has reportedly spent more than $200 million developing olestra and as much as $5 million to $10 million promoting Fat Free Pringles just in the Columbus area. The company has reportedly hired at least eight advertising and public relations firms to persuade the public that the chips are safe and to buy them.

"Procter & Gamble's public pronouncements pretend," said Jacobson, "that the small number of adverse-reaction reports it has received represents the total number of people affected. However, the company has acknowledged to the FDA that 'not all occurrences of a particular adverse event may be reported.'"

CSPI is a nonprofit health-advocacy organization that focuses on nutrition and food safety. It is based in Washington, D.C., and is supported largely by its 850,000 members. It does not accept industry or government funding. CSPI led efforts to win passage of the law requiring nutrition labels on food packages and has publicized the nutritional content of many popular restaurant foods.