Dangers of Diacetyl
Diacetyl naturally occurs in butter, beer, coffee, vinegar, and other food products. It is also used as an artificial flavoring in snack foods, syrups, processed cheese, icings, salad dressings, and particularly in microwave popcorn. Diacetyl is used to give over 6,000 products a buttery flavor.
This “flavor” is the cause of bronchiolitis obliterans, commonly known as popcorn workers lung. Once the chemical is inhaled, it damages the airway lining and tissue, leading to scarring that hardens and crimps airflow. The only cure for the disease is a lung transplant.
Popcorn workers lung is a very rare disease, and it was thought to be limited to people working in the flavorings industry. But this past July, the FDA was informed that a patient who had consumed two bags of microwave popcorn per day over a 15 year period had been diagnosed with Popcorn Workers Lung. This was the first such report of the disease in a consumer, and the FDA is currently investigating the incident.
The FDA has maintained that it has no jurisdiction to evaluate hazards posed by breathing vapors from food additives. It was only this year that OSHA started to investigate diacetyl exposure in snack food industry workers, and that agency is expected to look into setting standards for workers next month.
Some manufacturers have already begun discontinuing the use of diacetyl in their products. These manufacturers include ConAgra, General Mills (Pop Secret), and American Pop Corn Co. (Jolly Time).
If you or a loved one has been harmed by a dangerous drug or product, contact the attorneys at Cappolino Dodd Krebs LLP today, at 1-800-460-0606.