Olestra, a polyester of sucrose and six or more triglycerides, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on January 24 as a nondigestible substitute for fat in snack foods, after a long review of the petition from its manufacturer, Procter & Gamble. Procter & Gamble's patent on Olestra, extended by an act of Congress in 1994, was due to expire on January 25.Olestra is a technical novelty. Unfortunately, there is almost no relevant scientific literature on its potential health effects, except for studies conducted by Procter & Gamble. Many experts believe that neither the purported benefit of . . .