Diacetyl

Diacetyl comes as either a liquid or a powder, ranging from a yellow to greenish color, and is found in a variety of foods and beverages like beer, wine, and butterscotch flavoring. Most commonly, however, Diacetyl is used for the butter flavoring in microwave popcorn.

On July 26th, 2006, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was petitioned by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union to issue an emergency order that would impose a standard to protect workers from exposure to Diacetyl. This was a result of a high number of workers that developed a debilitating lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans, or “popcorn lung”, and other respiratory diseases as a result of exposure to Diacetyl. Bronchiolitis Obliterans is a life threatening, non reversible obstructive, in which the bronchioles are compressed and narrowed by fibrosis and inflammation.

The United States House of Representatives passed the Popcorn Workers Lung Disease Prevention Act on September 26, 2007, which forced OSHA to protect workers from Diacetyl by setting new workplace standards. One lawsuit involving Diacetyl exposure and popcorn lung resulted in a $20 million dollar verdict for the victim. Another one yielded $7 million. There have been many, many other multimillion dollar Diacetyl lawsuits. Many workers exposed to Diacetyl require extreme, double lung transplants. Others live with severe disability and pain. The New York Times reported, on September 25, 2007, reported that a consumer may have developed popcorn long simply as a result of heavy consumption of microwave popcorn. Heated Diacetyl, like the steam from a popcorn bag freshly popped and out of the microwave, is the most dangerous kind of Diacetyl exposure. Some microwave popcorn makers have promised to stop using Diacetyl in their butter flavoring.

The exposure to Diacetyl can lead to:

• Bronchiolitis obliterans
• Serious, life-threatening respiratory illness

Direct exposure to Diacetyl can:

• Cause irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat

Symptoms of bronchiolitis obliterans (popcorn lung) can include:

• Dry cough
• Shortness of breath, especially in exertion
• Wheezing and fatigue absent a cold or asthma

Symptoms of bronchiolitis obliterans can start gradually or, in more severe symptoms, rapidly but usually within two to eight weeks after exposure.

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