5. Lay’s WOW Chips
Not long before the purple ketchup, celery soda, and 6 other crazy foods flopped, came another crazy idea that also flopped. It was in 1998 that Frito-Lay (also a part of PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP)) began manufacturing Lay’s, Doritos, and Ruffles WOW Chips. These were all variables of fat-free chips, the recipe for which contained Olestra. This last component is a substitute for fat that contains no calories, but causes some unpleasant side effects, such as abdominal cramping, loose stool, and anal leakage. The FDA dictated that all products with Olestra would have to print a disclaimer on the package, informing consumers of the possible consequences.
Now, even though no one should consume anything that says “anal leakage” on the package -as stated in this hilarious “The Sweetest Thing” scene- I would like to point out that if you’re eating fat-free chips because you’re looking to lose weight, diarrhea might be helpful. I know it’s not a healthy thing to say, but let’s not kid ourselves: no chips are healthy, ever, no matter what. Furthermore, the side effects come with the exaggerated ingestion of Olestra, so if you actually get them it just means that you’re a serious over-eater lying to yourself.
Copyright: nobilior / 123RF Stock Photo
