If you are familiar with the “WOW” chips of the 1990s, you likely remember the national conversation surrounding Olestra and its documented gastrointestinal side effects. That sucrose polyester fat substitute fell out of favor in consumer packaged goods. Fast forward to 2026, and the wellness industry is seeing a surge in products using EPG (Esterified Propoxylated Glycerols). While a recent class-action lawsuit focuses primarily on calorie label accuracy, a broader scientific question remains: What happens when we replace traditional fats with engineered, reduced-calorie fat substitutes like EPG?
Olestra (sucrose polyester) promised us the impossible: the taste and mouthfeel of real fat with zero calories. What it delivered instead was a national conversation about emergency bathroom runs in the middle of a staff meeting, and vitamin depletion. How soon we forget! This lawsuit over David Protein Bars argues that the label is misleading. The real story is much deeper. We aren’t just looking at a calorie discrepancy; we are looking at the resurrection of engineered, indigestible fats, this time rebranded as a “Fat System” using an ingredient called EPG (Esterified Propoxylated Glycerols).
Label Architecture: Systems vs. Ingredients
The packaging and marketing for these bars divide their formula into categories: a “Protein System,” a “Binding System,” and a “Fat System.”
From a food science standpoint, these “systems” are simply combinations of ingredients. Substituting standard food components with reduced-calorie, engineered fats like EPG alongside sugar alcohols introduces ingredients with known digestive profiles:
- The Combination Profile: These bars combine EPG with sugar alcohols like maltitol. EPG is a fat replacer designed to pass through the body largely unabsorbed (only partially digested), while sugar alcohols are known for their osmotic effects in the digestive tract. Combining multiple ingredients that affect digestion can increase the likelihood of gastrointestinal sensitivity, especially when consuming multiple servings.
- Engineered vs. Traditional: EPG is a lab-engineered, propoxylated plant fat. While consumers often scrutinize bioengineered crops, ingredients like EPG represent novel chemical modifications of plant oils designed specifically to reduce metabolizable calories.
- GRAS Status Explained: EPG has received Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status through the FDA submission process. GRAS status indicates that an ingredient is recognized as safe under its intended conditions of use, but it is not a evaluation of long-term dietary superiority over traditional fats.
The “Mushroom Coffee” Logic: Novelty Over Evidence
This trend of embracing engineered “systems” reminds me of the recent explosion in mushroom coffees. We have hundreds of years of data on coffee; we know its safety profile, its side effects, and its benefits in moderation. Yet, thousands of people are happily swapping their morning brew for a beverage containing “indigenous” fungi they’ve never heard of, simply because a flashy ad told them it was “functional.”
Many of the mushrooms used in these blends aren’t your typical grocery store varieties. They are species with virtually no credible scientific evidence regarding long-term safety or human consumption at these concentrated levels. You’ve never heard of Chaga; never seen it, yet you’ll happily drink it in a brew because a company told you it is superfood?
The Chaga Caution: > This is a common ‘superfood’ additive in these blends. It is extremely high in oxalates, which can lead to permanent kidney damage or acute renal failure. While you might be worried about the acidity of your morning coffee, you are unknowingly swapping it for a mushroom that has zero human safety trials and a documented history of sending people to the dialysis ward.
Almost all “evidence” for Chaga comes from mice or test tubes. There are virtually no large-scale human clinical trials proving it is safe for long-term daily consumption, let alone “superior” to coffee. We have 800+ years of data on coffee; we have a handful of alarming case studies on Chaga. This is directly comparable to EPG!
Blind Faith in “Science” in an Anti-Science Era
It is a strange form of blind faith we have in the science of supplement or food company, while being cocksure we know more than our doctors about nutrition and health. We are willing to abandon time-tested ingredients for a “designer” alternative based on three shaky pillars:
- The Scientific Halo: If it sounds technical (like a “Protein System”) or earthy (like “Adaptogens”), we assume it’s superior.
- The “Anything is Better Than X” Fallacy: We are so convinced that sugar or caffeine are “poison” that we will accept literally any substitute, regardless of its own risks.
- The Sourcing Box Is Empty: Can we actually trust these startup companies to properly source and verify these “novel” ingredients?
Whether it’s a mushroom you can’t pronounce or a fat-substitute like EPG, we are trading the knowns of foods like sugar and plant oils for the complete unknowns of food engineering. And we’re worried about the fat grams?
The “Binding System”: Additional Sweeteners and Polyols
The ingredients listed under the “Binding System” include Maltitol and Allulose.
- Maltitol: Maltitol is a polyol (sugar alcohol) commonly used in sugar-reduced foods. Beyond providing structure and viscosity to help bind the bar, it contributes sweetness and has a measurable glycemic response, as well as documented laxative effects at higher doses.
- Allulose: Allulose is a monosaccharide found naturally in small quantities in wheat, figs, and raisins. It provides roughly 70% of the sweetness of sucrose with a fraction of the calories, serving both a structural and sweetening function in bar formulations.
- Ingredient Formatting: Categorizing these functional polyols and rare sugars under a “binding” label separates them from the primary intense sweeteners listed elsewhere on the deck (such as Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium), though they contribute to the overall sweetening profile of the bar.
Supply Chain & Ingredient Rights
A key aspect of the product’s business model is that the brand’s parent entity acquired exclusive rights to the production of EPG.
Controlling the supply of EPG allows a brand to market a low-calorie fat replacer exclusively within its product category. Substituting traditional plant fats with EPG allows the product to reduce total reported calories and fat grams on the nutrition panel while maintaining the mouthfeel associated with standard fat content.
Functional Role of EPG and Marketing Terminology
Substituting traditional fats with EPG allows a formulation to lower the reported total calories and fat grams on a product’s Nutrition Facts panel while retaining the mouthfeel associated with higher fat content.
- Caloric Density vs. Volume: The main outcome of using a fat substitute is reducing metabolizable energy. By replacing standard plant fats with EPG, the overall caloric content of the bar drops without altering its physical weight or volume.
- Evaluating “Optimal” Claims: Marketing copy for high-protein products frequently uses terms like “optimal protein” or “optimal form.” From a nutritional perspective, there is no single food or bar that constitutes an “optimal” protein source for human health. Individual protein requirements depend on total daily amino acid intake, activity levels, and broader dietary patterns.
- Labeling Focus: Front-of-pack marketing for alternative protein bars often emphasizes protein quantity while placing technical details regarding fat replacers and polyols primarily on the back-of-pack ingredient list. This reflects standard industry labeling practices, where primary marketing hooks center on macro-nutritional targets.
Clinical Data & Dose Dependency for EPG
The manufacturer of EPG references numerous studies evaluating its safety, primarily conducted in animal models. The primary human trial included in the FDA GRAS submission evaluated healthy adult volunteers over an 8-week period.
- Study Duration: An 8-week clinical window provides short-term tolerance data, though it does not track multi-year or lifelong dietary consumption patterns.
- Dose-Dependent Responses: In published clinical trial data, daily intake around 10 grams was reported as generally well tolerated. However, instances of gastrointestinal symptoms, including loose stools, oily spotting, and flatulence, increased significantly at higher daily intake levels (25 to 40 grams per day).
- Serving Thresholds: While a single serving of an EPG-containing product may stay below the 10-gram threshold, consuming multiple bars or combining them with other high-fiber or polyol-rich foods within a single day can move total intake closer to the dosage levels where side effects were observed in clinical settings.
The “Mechanistic” Explanation: EPG is Solid at Body Temperature
The company claims that any comparisons to Olestra are false and that “anal leakage” is not a problem with EPG. They claim this is because Olestra was solid at room temperature but melted at body temperature. EPG, they claim, stays solid in the body and so passes as normal stool. I am quite willing to give the company the benefit of the doubt! The ingredient may well not be all that comparable to Olestra. However, this “mechanistic” explanation should not be taken as evidence of a non-effect. Only clinical data can and should be used as direct evidence. The one human trial clearly shows that, at the right amounts, 25-40 grams daily, similar GI symptoms to Olestra can occur. Those amounts are NOT present in ONE bar. However, consumers could well over-consume. At this point, time will tell!
Mechanistic Effects: Fat-Soluble Vitamin Absorption
Because EPG is formulated to resist enzymatic breakdown by lipases, it moves through the gastrointestinal tract largely intact.
- Vitamin Partitioning: Non-absorbable fat substitutes can act as a solvent matrix for fat-soluble nutrients. In the 8-week human clinical trial submitted for GRAS notification, researchers recorded statistically significant reductions in serum concentrations of Vitamin K (phylloquinone) and Beta-Carotene among participants consuming higher doses of EPG.
- Physiological Impact: Because Beta-Carotene is a precursor to Vitamin A, sustained reductions in fat-soluble vitamin absorption represent an established physiological mechanism associated with indigestible fat replacers.
The “Orange Waste” Side Effect (Keriorrhea)
I’ll be honest with you. I wouldn’t have “purchased” this ingredient. I’m old enough to actually remember what happened to Olestra. The problem is that when humans consume indigestible wax esters (like those found in EPG or certain oily fish), it can lead to Keriorrhea, the medical term for the discharge of orange-colored, oily waste. Google affectionally calls this “oil spotting.” It remains to be seen if the same will occur, here.
Conclusion: Evaluating Novel Ingredients
Pointing out the chemical and physiological properties of EPG is not an exercise in food alarmism. At CulinaryLore, the focus remains on examining food science facts and evaluating marketing claims against published data.
EPG is not an acute toxin, and its GRAS filing reflects regulatory review for its intended use. However, GRAS status simply establishes threshold safety for entry into the food supply. It does not guarantee optimal health benefits or immunity from dose-dependent digestive discomfort.
Whether EPG-containing products fit into your diet depends on your personal tolerance for alternative sweeteners, fat substitutes, and your overall dietary goals. As with any novel ingredient, understanding the underlying science allows consumers to make informed choices based on evidence rather than marketing labels.
Further Reading
- Do McDonald’s fries still contain beef?
- Is Pink Slime Now Hidden in Ground Beef?
- Are There Bones in Chicken Nuggets?