The idea of being able to feast on delicious snacks without all those troublesome calories is a dream many people have.
The notion seems to good to be true – and, thus far, probably is.
However, it has been tried – and it did not go well.
In 1998, Frito-Lay marketers cottoned on to the idea fat-free chips would be a big seller.
The company’s experts were able to come up with versions of Lay’s, Doritos and Ruffles called Wow Chips which they claimed were entirely fat-free.
They contained an ingredient called olestra.
The products exploded, with the company raking in a colossal $347 million in the first few months.
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Unfortunate side-effects
However, on the subject of explosions, there was a fairly considerable side-effect.
It turns out olestra’s molecules are too big to be successfully digested by the human body.
The result? Diarrhea. And stomach cramps.
So despite the WOW factor (excuse the pun) of 0 fat and just 75 calories in people’s favorite snacks, the side effects were very much a downside of what otherwise seemed a brilliant plan.
By 2000, sales were down to $200 million and the Wow was quietly replaced by “light”.
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We’re not quite sure how the chips got past the testing process.
Surely if its testers were suddenly rushing off to the bathroom minutes after eating their latest product, a few concerns may have been raised. The FDA also insisted on a warning on the packet, which is not a good look.
Following the rebrand in 2004, executive director Michael F. Jacobson for the Center for Science and Public Interest, summed it up neatly.
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He said:
“If you’re going to buy Lay’s Light, Ruffles Light, or Doritos Light, you also might want to stock up on Cottonelle, Quilted Northern, or Charmin—and plan not to stray too far from the bathroom.“
“Frito-Lay should have rebranded these chips as ‘OW!’ chips.
“This sudden name change is just a desperate attempt to revive a dying brand. Frito-Lay should have just pulled the plug altogether.”
