Before you reach for that bag of microwave popcorn, you might want to read on and consider the ramifications…
The US State of California has recently seen seven cases of people contracting what is being called “popcorn worker’s lung.” Bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and life-threatening lung disease is thought to be caused by diacetyl, one of the chemicals found in powdered flavorings used to top microwave popcorn. Insufficient ventilation as well as inadequate paper dust masks may have contributed to the cases of “popcorn worker’s lung” popping up amongst those coming in contact with the chemical in California’s flavor factories.
The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention published in its weekly Morbidity and Mortality Report that studies have existed since 2001 which make a link between lung disease and diacetyl. Although the microwave popcorn industry has already been identified as having a risk of occupational lung disease, and has already spent $100 million in the last five years, in lawsuits to workers who have developed lung disease, no limits have been set for safe occupational exposure to the chemical.
So far no known risks to consumers of the flavored popcorn have been reported. Nothing is known about the health effects of eating the diacetyl-containing butter-flavored popcorn, nor whether breathing the fumes when it comes out of the microwave is dangerous.
Symptoms of bronchiolitis obliterans are coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath upon exertion. None of the workers who have been affected by the disease were smokers. This fixed obstructive lung disease completely destroys the lungs. The only cure is a transplant.
This article was published Friday, May 11, 2007.
