Posted on 09/05/2007 8:05:53 AM PDT by Froufrou
Consumers, not just factory workers, may be in danger from fumes from buttery flavoring in microwave popcorn, according to a warning letter to federal regulators from a doctor at a leading lung research hospital.
A pulmonary specialist at Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center has written to federal agencies to say doctors there believe they have the first case of a consumer who developed lung disease from the fumes of microwaving popcorn several times a day for years.
"We cannot be sure that this patient's exposure to butter flavored microwave popcorn from daily heavy preparation has caused his lung disease," cautioned Dr. Cecile Rose. "However, we have no other plausible explanation."
The July letter, made public Tuesday by a public health policy blog, refers to a potentially fatal disease commonly called popcorn lung that has been the subject of lawsuits by hundreds of workers at food factories exposed to chemicals used for flavoring.
In response to Rose's finding, the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association issued a statement Tuesday recommending that its members reduce "to the extent possible" the amount of diacetyl in butter flavorings they make. It noted that diacetyl is approved for use in flavors by the federal Food and Drug Administration.
One national popcorn manufacturer, Weaver Popcorn Co. of Indianapolis, said last week it would replace the butter flavoring ingredient because of consumer concern. Congress has also been debating new safety measures for workers in food processing plants exposed to diacetyl.
The FDA said in an e-mail it is evaluating Rose's letter and "carefully considering the safety and regulatory issues it raises."
Fred Blosser, spokesman for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, said it is the first case the institute has seen of lung disease apparently linked to popcorn fumes outside the workplace.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Two things that are illegal to microwave in the office environment: popcorn or fish.
What is ‘Poprocn’?
I knew that stuff was evil. I can’t stand even being in the hall when someone pops a bag of that vile stuff at work, how anyone can bear to eat the stuff is beyond me.
Mind you, plain popcorn drenched in *real* butter with salt is a great American treat. It’s just the ersatz stuff that’s evil.
~snorrfle!~ I’ve never seen kosher corn...
related:
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8RES61O2&show_article=1&catnum=-1
I used to love those dadgum things!
Shoot!
It’s rockin popcorn
I still remember going to an office building and finding the whole population of workers out in the parking lot, accompanied by a couple of fire trucks.
Apparently someone had burned microwave popcorn, setting off the fire alarms, so the whole building had to be evacuated.
WHAT? Microwave popcorn causes lung cancer?!?! WWWWWAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
That’s the trouble with the fake butter. It sits there and clumps so that it can burn even if it’s not overcooked. Nasty stuff.
The same thing happened in the girl's dorm in my junior year of college--during finals week. I had been trying to get some rare shut eye in when the alarm went off at 11 p.m. GGGGRRRRR!!!!!
Ha, years ago my ex-wife did that at a temp job. Never went back and never fessed up.
However, when the kids have friends over and we pop popcorn, they all act like we're from Mars or something because we don't make the microwave junk.
It may not be that the flavoring is dangerous. It may be that the action of microwaving the flavoring, or microwaving any substance creates a non naturally occurring substance that our body does not have the ability to break down and eliminate. Maybe someone knows of some studies on the question of toxic or carcinogenic compounds in microwaved food.
Whether you or anyone who reads this agrees with the above, whatever you do, DO NOT let children get up close to the oven and stare into it to watch eggs or hot dogs cook, water boil, or anything else. There are cases of 4 year olds who did this and developed cataracts. (Or, don't get too fascinated with the microwave after knocking down a few beers and do this yourself!)
It’s disconcerting, I think, that all these great labor saving things evolved in our lifetime, but that it may not be safe takes the luster off the shiny new toys, doesn’t it?
I read a new book, “The Cure” by Dr. Timothy Brantley that says we should eat all our food as close to raw as possible, and all organic.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.