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Popcorn Lung One of America's favorite snack foods - microwave popcorn - is at the center of a national health controversy. The chemical diacetyl, used to make artificial butter flavoring in microwave popcorn, has been linked to a respiratory disease called "popcorn lung" that has affected food processing workers across the country. "Popcorn lung", or bronchiolitis obliterans, is a severe, disabling, and often fatal lung disease experienced by food processing workers who produce or handle diacetyl. Tens of thousands of food processing workers may be exposed to the dangers of diacetyl and other similar chemicals that, in addition to popcorn, are used to impart the taste of butter in pastries, frozen foods, candy and even dog food. The UFCW has joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and prominent occupational health scientists to petition the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to set an emergency standard for the chemical in the workplace. The attached links provide information about the petition to the U.S. Department of Labor and other scientific findings pertaining to this dangerous chemical. |
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