ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, September 25, 1996 TAG: 9609250046
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
P&G pits new ads against olestra jokes
CINCINNATI - Comedians have had their fun joking about olestra, the zero-calorie fake fat for snack chips. Now Procter & Gamble Co. is striking back.
Buffeted by months of jokes about olestra's gastric side effects, P&G is beginning its first olestra commercials - featuring testimonials from people who say they like olestra-flavored chips. The spots will air initially in Columbus, Ohio, in conjunction with the test marketing of Pringles chips, P&G's first olestra-based product. Pringles with Olean - P&G's brand name for olestra - will hit Columbus shelves Monday.
``The tag line is, `Tested and approved by people like you,''' said P&G spokeswoman Sydney McHugh.
The customers in the ads weren't paid, but they did receive money to participate in research on diet and lifestyle, P&G said. The company won't say how much it is spending on the ads.
Olestra is a synthetic chemical made from sugar and vegetable oil. It looks like real fat, but its molecules are too large to digest, so it passes through the body unabsorbed.
- Associated Press
Unlisted walnuts spur cookie recall
BAY SHORE, N.Y. - Entenmann's Inc. recalled chocolate chip cookies in five Southeastern states Tuesday because they may contain walnuts, an unlisted ingredient that can provoke an allergic reaction in some people.
The Bay Shore, N.Y.-based company said an employee discovered the problem and prompted the recall. Also missing from the ingredient list is another potential allergen, non-fat dry milk, Entenmann's said.
Most of the 3,700 boxes of cookies were distributed Friday to stores in Georgia and Florida, the company said. But the recall also affects South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia, where some cookies were sold. Entenmann's can be reached at (800) 356-3314.
- Associated Press
Briefly
* Virginia Western Community College said Tuesday it has postponed a program, scheduled for Thursday, on the prevention of violence in the workplace. The college said the program drew too little interest, but the half-day event, to be taught by a retired state police officer, may be rescheduled.
* Roanoke Construction Specialities Inc., a distributor of products to commercial contractors, has changed its name to Commonwealth Door & Hardware. The company, with operations in Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Manassas, distributes doors and frames, hardware and concrete accessories.
* Optical Cable Corp., Roanoke County maker of fiber-optic cable, said it has received an order from Chrysler Corp. for 63,000 feet of its "Core-Locked" cable made for harsh environments.
* Roanoke Electric Steel Corp. said it will rebuy up to 250,000 shares of its common stock, in addition to 500,000 it planned to buy by April 1997. The shares will be used for general corporate purposes and to fund the stock option plan, the company said. There are 7.6 million shares of stock outstanding.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB