Not to worry... With a name like "diacetyl," and given the fact that it destroys your lungs, it's surely toxic when INHALED. Probably quite safe to eat. Inhaling water is deadly. The thing is most substances never really get to do much damage because the lungs can keep them out. Certain aerosols (and again, diacetyl sounds like an aerosol) which are hardly harmful at the microbiotic level wreak havoc on the lungs. Case in point: Chlorine (a gas, actually, not a true aerosol) destroys the lungs as a gas, but as a dilute fluid, you literally bathe in it.
"Chlorine (a gas, actually, not a true aerosol) destroys the lungs as a gas, but as a dilute fluid, you literally bathe in it."
No thanks. My hair is getting white enough on it's own.
Ummm. Doesn't chlorine cause 'burns' because of it's acidity?
What do you think what happens when microwave popcorn is made in a small office? I guess that diacetyl becomes aerosol because you can smell "butter" all over the place.
When you buy a can of spray paint, it is clearly marked that must be used in well ventillated areas by adults. Yet, diacetyl soaked popcorn does not have such warning and it is often used by children.
This is criminal negligence.