Butter-flavored ingredient may be hazardous
What do working in a microwave popcorn factory and smoking have in common? Answer: Both increase the risk of developing lung disease, a new study reports.
Unusually high numbers of cases of clinical bronchiolitis obliterans have been diagnosed in popcorn factory workers in the United States. In the new study, researchers focused on a potential risk from diacetyl, the ingredient that is largely responsible for the buttery odor and flavor in microwave popcorn. (Hubbs AF, Goldsmith WT, Kashon ML, et al. Respiratory toxicologic pathology of inhaled diacetyl in Sprague-Dawley rats. Toxicol Pathol. 2008;36(2):330-44.) Because diacetyl is a natural byproduct of fermentation, it occurs in alcoholic beverages. It is added to some foods to impart a buttery flavor.
The researchers examined the acute toxicity of inhaled diacetyl and compared different exposure patterns. They found that diacetyl vapors caused structural damage to rats’ lungs. The study is one of the first to evaluate the respiratory toxicity of the chemical flavoring agent at levels relevant to human health.
“Our research, in conjunction with other recent studies, supports the conclusion that diacetyl is an inhalation hazard, and further studies are needed to also investigate other agents in butter flavoring so we have the information needed to protect workers,” says study author Ann Hubbs, DVM, PhD. Dr. Hubbs is a toxicologic pathologist with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Morgantown, W. Va.
The issue captured public attention when eight former employees of a popcorn plant in Jasper, Mo., developed bronchiolitis obliterans. In 2000, the Missouri Department of Health called NIOSH to make a determination of the cause and to recommend safety measures. After surveying the plant and reviewing each patient’s medical history, NIOSH recommended respiratory protection for workers in microwave popcorn production. Following these developments, the condition became known as “popcorn lung” or “popcorn workers’ lung.”
Warnings
On September 4, 2007, the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association recommended that manufacturers consider decreasing diacetyl concentration in flavorings. And on January 16, 2008, Wayne Watson of Denver, a reportedly heavy consumer of microwave popcorn who says he developed popcorn lung after inhaling fumes from microwave popcorn, filed suit against the Kroger grocery store chain and its affiliates. In the lawsuit, Watson’s attorney claimed that the companies “failed to warn that preparing microwave popcorn in a microwave oven as intended and smelling the buttery aroma could expose the consumer to an inhalation hazard and a risk of lung injury.”
Diacetyl is approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a safe flavor ingredient. Several organizations have issued warnings for workers who inhale flavor vapors. NIOSH has issued an alert regarding workplace exposures titled “Preventing Lung Disease in Workers Who Use or Make Flavorings” that is available at www.cdc.gov/ niosh/docs/2004-110. It also maintains a Web page titled Flavorings-Related Lung Disease, which can be found at www.cdc.gov/niosh/ topics/flavorings. |
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