In 1997, after spending more than $500 million in development and after extensive test marketing, Procter & Gamble launched a series of snack food products made with Olestra, a "no fat" substitute. Although touted as a miracle product, Olestra faced a number of uncertainties concerning taste and shelf life; regulatory approval; and, most important, medical side effects (stomach cramps and the ugly specter of diarrhea in some consumers). Four years later and buffeted by heavy losses, P&G abandoned the fat substitute?