It appears that consumers are being sickened with “Popcorn Lung“, a disease that once was thought limited to workers in the snack food industry. Popcorn Lung, or Bronchiolitis obliterans, has been associated with diacetyl, a food additive used to give foods like microwave popcorn a buttery flavor.
Some of the larger microwave popcorn manufacturers, such as ConAgra, have stopped using diacetyl. But the chemical is still used in thousands of products, including microwave popcorn, frozen foods, cake mixes and butter-flavored cooking oils. Unfortunately, it is not often listed on ingredient labels, so there is no way for consumers to protect themselves from exposure. (more…)
