ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF A NEW FOOD INGREDIENT THE FAT REPLACER OLESTRA

Olestra is a new noncaloric food ingredient made from sugar and vegeta ble oil combined in such a way that it is not digested or absorbed. Ol estra will be used to replace the cooking fat and oils used to make sa vory snacks such as potato chips. An environmental assessment (EA) was conducted to determine whether or not this consumer use of olestra wo uld result in adverse impacts to the environment. The EA was also subm itted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as part of the agency's review and approval process for this new food ingredient. To provide a conservative assessment, that is, to not underestimate potential env ironmental risk, exposure estimates were based on an upper-bound annua l consumption value of 228 x 10(6) kg (about 500 million pounds) and t he assumption that the entire amount would enter wastewater. The olest ra environmental database is extensive and includes studies to address its fate and effects in wastewater treatment systems, sludge-amended soils, and receiving waters. Testing showed olestra was not toxic to a quatic organisms including bacteria, algae, zooplankton, and fish nor to terrestrial organisms including bacteria, plants, earthworms, and n ine mammalian species. Testing also showed olestra will net bioconcent rate or persist. Aerobic biodegradation was demonstrated in both aquat ic and terrestrial matrices and a plausible mineralization pathway was detailed that has application to both aerobic and anaerobic environme nts. Because of its very low water solubility (5-42 mu g/L) and sorpti ve nature (K-d ranging from 10,000 to 287,000 L/kg), the vast majority of olestra that enters the environment will be associated with wastew ater solids and sludges. Overall removal for primary and secondary tre atment was 91 to 94%. Olestra was shown to be mineralized at a rate su fficient to prevent significant accumulation in soil even with annual reapplication of sludge (half-lives were 10-88 d depending upon the ph ysical form [liquid or solid] of olestra). Laboratory and bench scale testing showed olestra did not adversely effect conventional wastewate r treatment. Olestra exhibited no adverse effects on total suspended s olids or chemical oxygen demand. Olestra's properties are compatible w ith disposal in landfills and by incineration Olestra did not adversel y impact full-scale septic tanks or physical properties of sludge-amen ded agricultural soils. Based on conservative exposure estimates and e xtensive testing, the evidence indicates that consumer use of olestra will not result in adverse effects on wastewater treatment or aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.