Popcorn Lung
Workers at food manufacturing plants producing popcorn flavoring potentially could have damaged their lungs. The chemical diacetyl, which is an ingredient in certain popcorn flavoring, can be dangerous when inhaled. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, diacetyl is a natural compound that gives butter its taste and is also found in cheese and wine. The Food and Drug Administration has approved the chemical as an acceptable flavor agent, but countless workers claiming lung damage have still been suing flavoring manufacturers over the years.
"Popcorn lung," formally known as bronchiolitis obliterans, is caused by extensive exposure to the toxins found in diacetyl. Some of the symptoms people have experienced include gasping for air, hardening of the lung tissue, and other more serious respiratory problems. The damage caused by the inhalation of diacetyl is irreparable. The most serious instances of popcorn lung are life-threatening, and victims who have reached this point likely need a lung transplant to survive.
The latest reports concerning popcorn lung are coming from consumers of microwave popcorn. If you or your loved ones eat butter-flavored microwave popcorn and are experiencing respiratory problems, you may be a candidate for popcorn lung.