A Peking University forum posting seeking volunteers to eat potato chips made using Olestra, a compound banned in many countries, has attracted criticism from students.

According to the post, a program jointly conducted by the Health Science Center at Peking University and US multinational Procter & Gamble (P&G) wants to recruit potato chip tasters to test the effects of a component called Olestra, marketed in the US as Olean, to see how it affects Chinese people's gastrointestinal systems.

"We're like lab rats, is it safe and is it violating medical ethics?" a Peking University graduate named Chen Lijun said after reading the ads on the university's internal forum, Weiming BBS.

Olestra is a fat substitute that was promoted as an alternative to fat in foods, and is used to make high-fat foods, such as potato chips, in the US.

A report published in June 2011, by Purdue University in the US, discovered that fat substitutes often lead to more weight gain. Fake fats interfere with the body's ability to digest food, said the report.

Olestra has been banned in a number of countries, including Canada in 2000.

Eligible participants will be provided with free chips for six weeks, under the guidance of experts, cooperating with research staff to record results.

"We'll check the applicants' health, only those who pass can take part," said a member of the research group, surnamed Fang. The group is led by Li Keji, a professor at the center's public health department. 

"After they finish the test, we'll give compensation, at least 100 yuan ($16)," Fang said. 

Another group member, who requested anonymity, said the trial was approved by the Beijing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical ethics committee and the research group will inform participants about any potential risks. 

Hou Caiyun, an expert specializing in food safety at China Agricultural University, said that related departments must approve all trials and participants have the right to know of any potential side effects.

"Recruiting people for food or drug trials is normal everywhere, and is essential for scientific research. Whether the material is legal to use depends on the regulations and laws in that country," Hou said.

Olestra was approved by the Ministry of Health for use on November 1 last year.

Foods containing Olestra had not been as popular as P&G had hoped, as there were side effects, including inability to absorb certain vitamins, and "anal leakage." In the US, it was required to put this information on warning labels on the products that used it.