AGBeer
Lost in Thought
Note to the kids - DONT VAPE POPCORN!
If its Diactyl
http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100170446>1=31036
Vapors from butter-flavored microwave popcorn can cause lung problems.
Though this sounds like an idea cooked up by a lawsuit-happy couch potato, the risk is serious and has been known to health agencies for several years now. Workers in microwave popcorn factories have come down with severe and potentially fatal pulmonary diseases from inhaling vapors over a long period of time, earning the condition the nickname popcorn workers lung.
In addition, "popcorn lung" has been identified in consumers. Since 2001, academic studies have identifed the link between a chemical used in artificial butter, called diacetyl, and the lung condition bronchiolitis obliterans.
Over 300 lawsuits have been filed nationwide involving diacetyl. The most recent lawsuit comes from a woman in Queens, NY, targeting ConAgra, the large food manufacturer. She claims she ate the popcorn twice daily for the past 16 years and now has an irreversible lung disease.
The culprit is a naturally occurring chemical.
Diacetyl, a flavoring that gives a buttery taste to foods, occurs naturally in milk, cheese and butter, where it is understood to be harmless. Its also a byproduct of the fermentation process, so its found in beer and even cultivated by some makers of Chardonnay wines for its buttery aroma, taste and texture.
Heated diacetyl, though, becomes a vapor that can inflame and destroy small airways in the lungs called bronchioles. Granted, you would probably have to inhale a lot of butter-flavored microwave popcorn fumes over a long period of time for that to happen. But for dozens of factory workersand for those who consume more than a couple bags of microwave popcorn a dayregular exposure has been enough to cause severe respiratory stress.
The problem isnt with popcorn but with the flavor additive.
Low in fat, sodium and calories while high in fiber, plain ol popcorn remains one of the healthiest snacks you can reach for. Shake up a cup of kernels on the stovebeing reasonable with the butter and saltfor a healthy, guilt-free bowl of crunchy goodness.
Its the butter-flavored, microwave popcorn that has raised concern. The government has been criticized for inaction regarding the factory workers and has been petitioned for not revoking the generally regarded as safe designation for diacetyl. Several popcorn manufacturers have said theyre planning to remove diacetyl from their products ingredients.
The snack aisle can be perilous.
Popcorn lung isnt the first known instance of snacks on the attack. After all, it was a pretzel that attacked President Bush in 2002. Fat-free chips from Pringles and Frito-Lay raised a stink in the late 90s after the fat substitute olestra was understood to cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. And just last week a man from Des Moines, Iowa, was arrested for assaulting his father with a bag of Cheetos.
If its Diactyl
http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100170446>1=31036
Vapors from butter-flavored microwave popcorn can cause lung problems.
Though this sounds like an idea cooked up by a lawsuit-happy couch potato, the risk is serious and has been known to health agencies for several years now. Workers in microwave popcorn factories have come down with severe and potentially fatal pulmonary diseases from inhaling vapors over a long period of time, earning the condition the nickname popcorn workers lung.
In addition, "popcorn lung" has been identified in consumers. Since 2001, academic studies have identifed the link between a chemical used in artificial butter, called diacetyl, and the lung condition bronchiolitis obliterans.
Over 300 lawsuits have been filed nationwide involving diacetyl. The most recent lawsuit comes from a woman in Queens, NY, targeting ConAgra, the large food manufacturer. She claims she ate the popcorn twice daily for the past 16 years and now has an irreversible lung disease.
The culprit is a naturally occurring chemical.
Diacetyl, a flavoring that gives a buttery taste to foods, occurs naturally in milk, cheese and butter, where it is understood to be harmless. Its also a byproduct of the fermentation process, so its found in beer and even cultivated by some makers of Chardonnay wines for its buttery aroma, taste and texture.
Heated diacetyl, though, becomes a vapor that can inflame and destroy small airways in the lungs called bronchioles. Granted, you would probably have to inhale a lot of butter-flavored microwave popcorn fumes over a long period of time for that to happen. But for dozens of factory workersand for those who consume more than a couple bags of microwave popcorn a dayregular exposure has been enough to cause severe respiratory stress.
The problem isnt with popcorn but with the flavor additive.
Low in fat, sodium and calories while high in fiber, plain ol popcorn remains one of the healthiest snacks you can reach for. Shake up a cup of kernels on the stovebeing reasonable with the butter and saltfor a healthy, guilt-free bowl of crunchy goodness.
Its the butter-flavored, microwave popcorn that has raised concern. The government has been criticized for inaction regarding the factory workers and has been petitioned for not revoking the generally regarded as safe designation for diacetyl. Several popcorn manufacturers have said theyre planning to remove diacetyl from their products ingredients.
The snack aisle can be perilous.
Popcorn lung isnt the first known instance of snacks on the attack. After all, it was a pretzel that attacked President Bush in 2002. Fat-free chips from Pringles and Frito-Lay raised a stink in the late 90s after the fat substitute olestra was understood to cause abdominal cramping and loose stools. And just last week a man from Des Moines, Iowa, was arrested for assaulting his father with a bag of Cheetos.
