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Interesting New York Times article about popcorn factory workers. Not exactly the kind of lead-in you would expect here at askdrmanny.com.
Well, me neither. I never even thought about popcorn factory workers before. But things are different today.
Maybe it’s because my son has a huge fondness for microwave popcorn. No, not maybe. Definitely.
And I’m sure he’s not the only one. At least 17 billion quarts of popcorn are consumed by Americans each year.
Why am I concerned? If you read the Times article, instead of reading this post, you’d know already. It’s because some workers in flavoring factories have been stricken with bronchiolitis obliterans, otherwise known as Popcorn Workers’ Lung. If lung damage and and shortness of breath sound like fringe benefits to you, maybe a flavoring factory is the right career move for you.
But it may appear that the prolonged exposure to diacetyl may be at the root of these health problems. Diacetyl, the artificial butter flavoring in microwave popcorn, previously came under fire in 2004 when the CDC researched into similar lung problems with no conclusive results.
There is no mention in the Times article about the effect of diacetyl in a popcorn-eating child’s diet. So maybe that’s good. But there’s also no long term data on the effects of diacetyl on children over time. So, the jury’s out. This should be an interesting story to follow.
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