There's even more detail and behind the scenes tidbits in this saga, but this thread was already long enough! Hope people like these longer-form threads, I know they could potentially clog your feeds, but they are fun for me to write, hopefully they are for you to read as well haha

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Today, olestra is still carries FDA approval but is virtually non-existent in the food industry. And per my understanding, it is BANNED in both the EU and Canada

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As a fun footnote, Western NYers may remember Wegmans' response with their "What-A-Chip!" line. There was no olestra, but rather "the fat is squeezed out of the fried chips in a pressurized container, forming bead-like droplets on the chip's surface", which was then "vacuumed" away. Science!!

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Between 2005 and 2016, the formulas were tweaked and specific products phased out of the lineup, until the entire "Light" line was finally axed completely, as consumers had pivoted to either full-fat chips or baked options

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Regardless, the stink that the branding carried was too much for Frito-Lay, and in 2004 they ended the WOW! Chip era, quietly rebranding as "Lay's Light" which included potato chips, Tostitos, Doritos, and two types of Ruffles, all with the same formula, including olestra

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