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99 Comments
- Neticule, on 10/12/2007, -9/+61The FDA needs to keep track of this chemical and find a suitable replacement for it, end of story. People shouldnt be dying from this kind of stuff in our modern world. Especially when its been known about for so many years.
The chemical responsible is Diacetyl, which is a chemical in the flavoring.
What scares me even more is this quote from the article "Even less is known about the health effects of eating diacetyl in butter-flavored popcorn, or breathing the fumes after the bag is microwaved."
They would be stupid not to pass the bill coming up that bans it. - Trevordtodd, on 10/12/2007, -1/+37The link above:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/06/AR2007050601089.html?referrer=reddit
referrer=reddit??? - nubnub, on 10/12/2007, -2/+34Ban the *****, get real butter.
- bjornski, on 10/12/2007, -3/+33This has been known FOR YEARS. The ***** is poison.
But god is it tasty.
The FDA is a sick, sad, pathetic joke. - pap3rw8, on 10/12/2007, -6/+36Before freaking out about TEH CHEMAKALZ IN MY POPCR0N, learn what diacetyl is. It's a natural product of fermentation, and it's present in beer and wine.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacetyl - K4P741NxKRUNCH, on 10/12/2007, -1/+30I think it should be mandatory for them to bold deadly chemicals in the ingredients list..
corn syrup, milk, butter, DIACETYL (Will killz ur lungz!), citric acid, fructose - shootdashit, on 10/12/2007, -4/+29it's so refreshing to know that lawmakers are passing ***** when there's no law regulating the use of this chemical. if only it was played on xbox's and simulated killing hookers.
- allaboutdatiki, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25I knew that freaking stuff was evil. EVIL.
Popcorn is a gift from heaven and what do the corporations do? They kill us with it. - SuperCUBE, on 10/12/2007, -3/+251.) Purchase and pop butter-free popcorn
2.) Melt real butter
3.) Pour butter solution onto popcorn
4.) Apply salt, as needed
5.) Enjoy a more healthy, satisfying, and delicious food. - englishganxta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21*****, everything I do in this cruel world is killing people!
- LexisNexis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+23Holy *****, I should stop eating the butter ***** off the sides of the bag after I'm done with the popcorn.
- adrenaline33, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20I might be ***** up in the head, but this made me really want to go eat some popcorn.
- ACrazyGerman, on 10/12/2007, -4/+22Hmmm deadly chemicals in popcorn.... Taste the goodness.
- ImYourRealDad, on 10/12/2007, -5/+22What about the cheese kind?
- battlefield1985, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16That wasn't a cool comment, besides how many illegal Mexicans do You know of make $17 an Hour...she was definitely not illegal.
I've never heard of any illegal workers making more then $8/Hour. - coolwalking, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Why are you adding cheese after you've already eaten the popcorn?
- Tenlow, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14I changed that to:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/06/AR2007050601089.html?referrer=digg
And a popup tried to open. WTF? - NoTiG, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13lesson learned.. use real butter
- Flendon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11@sundownvf111
"but seriously, don't these people wear protective masks??"
Five paragraphs above the one you quoted:
"Ortiz said she wore a disposable face mask when she mixed flavors during the eight years she worked at Carmi Flavor and Fragrance Co. in Commerce, Calif. In recent years, it became impossible for her to wear the mask because she coughed continually at the plant and her nose often ran, Ortiz said." - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13The number of known chemicals DWARFS the number of chemicals that have been studied for their impact on human health. Many chemicals of unknown impact can be found in a routine blood draw from the average person. The EPA is a big a powerful agency but it is extremely far behind on so many chemicals it is hard to see how they will ever catch up. In the meantime we pollute our genetic pool with thousands of chemicals of unknown impact.
It is scary and sad and frustrating. At a minimum we ought to be able to put aside consumerism long enough to make sure the things we produce are not killing us or making us sick. State capitalism is a miserable failure on this front. - Detritus, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13Not as fast as ***** comments from people who don't RTFA. Go back to FARK with that.
- Revo75, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9RTFA she said she wore the mask but at one point it was unbearable to use the mask. I feel bad for her =/
bah Flendon beat me to it! - kevisazombie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9At first i thought the title read "coworkers" as one day some broad left a bag of this stuff in our lounges microwave on high for 5 minutes it literally smoked out the whole office and people were coughing the rest of the day.
- englishganxta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9@DougPenn
*****, your fast to jump to conclusions.
Ugh, I dont have any words for you. - Taikun, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8@DougPenn
Do you actually believe that people who come from a different country have less of a right to live than you do?
It continues to amaze me how ignorant people are. ***** you. - silverchrysalis, on 10/12/2007, -2/+76.) add finely grated white cheddar cheese for a real taste orgasm
- jimmiejaz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7I wonder where moojj got the link/story from... hrmmm
- Detritus, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I know, Dude, I feel all bad now... but so hungry for that buttery goodness.
- jandsroberts, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5FTA:
"the first California case of popcorn workers lung was diagnosed just over two years ago" - tgunner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I knew Pop Secret had a real secret....
- smegthelight, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Quote FTA,
"The Environmental Protection Agency has studied the fumes but is waiting for the industry to review the study before releasing it. The Food and Drug Administration has diacetyl on its list of substances "generally recognized as safe" but has not studied it."
WTF ?
Industry Review ?
"generally recognized as safe" but has never studied it ?
Yeah, there are no conspiracies in government..
If it hasn't been used by humans in the same manner and method for over 200 years, don't put it in your mouth.
A large corporation will always choose the least expensive method to produce a food product, and they will fund studies to make you think it's because they care about you.. ie Soy - sxtxixtxcxh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5that doesn't mean it did not exist before then...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4oh... here is the material safety data sheet
http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/BU/2,3-butanedione.html - caravanbill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Furthermore, there is a concern that Teflon used on the inside of microwave popcorn bags is also being ingested and could cause cancer.
- buckrogers1965, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I cannot eat the store bought microwave popcorn, makes my lips swell like I went 15 rounds with a heavy weight prize fighter.
So I found another way to do it.
Take 1/4 cup of popcorn. Drop them in a brown paper lunch bag. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until the rate of popping slows down. Remove bag, shake a few seconds, pour into bowl with all the unpopped kernels left behind in the bag. Add olive oil and salt to taste.
100% natural and even sorta kinda healthy. Works a little better in lower power microwave ovens. - scispaz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Ever think of what the MSDS sheet says about water. How about caffeine? It doesn't take much caffeine to kill a person.
- Cutkomp, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Not mine, I don't eat popcorn.
- theodicey, on 10/12/2007, -5/+7@pap3rw8:
It's not unusual or surprising that a chemical which in small doses makes your wine taste buttery can do horrible things if inhaled in high doses over a long period of time.
"Before freaking out about hyponatremia, learn what dihydrogen monoxide is." - scabbers, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Nice headline ... blame the consumer? Uh ok.
- speedyrev, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Ummmm, I love the smell of microwave popcor......mmmph, archhhhhh, hacckkkkkkk!
Thud. - slearwig, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4[quote]California does not regulate the chemical's use, either. But, "in general, these employers know they have a problem. They're in a mode now where they're saying, 'Tell us what to do,' " said Len Walsh, acting director of Cal/OSHA. Using the chemical in closed containers instead of mixing it in the open air would help, Walsh said.[/quote]
Sure, by all means let's continue to sell it to the public! - mortigon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I know a few co-workers I'd like to give some buttered popcorn to...
- Wacer, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Whoops I think you forgot about the Teflon they use in the bag to keep the popcorn from sticking to it. It causes bad health problems too. Du-Pont has to eliminate it from products by 2015. So go ahead and buy the unbuttered microwave popcorn and sit in front of the TV and enjoy a bowl of Teflon coated popcorn.
One of many Sources: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/25/AR2006012502041.html - smackhero, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4i wonder if that's the same molecule that is added to morphine to create heroin (diacetylmorphine)...
also, why does the industry have to review the study before the EPA can release the info to the public? people are eating this ***** everyday, and workers are dying because of it. the industry shouldn't be allowed to delay the disclosure of public funded studies on potential health risks related to products that are on the market. if the industry wants to delay the disclosure of the study results, then they should be prohibited from using the chemical until they decide it's ok for the public to know the risks. - toxicredm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2OK, so there are deadly chemicals used in the making of microwave popcorn. Anyone think of having the workers wear face masks?
- rhomsy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Can't they just douche their lungs?
- TB65, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I read one of the reports and the main area of infection is the mixing area where the chemical is added to the product. Concentrations varied, but they were anywhere from 80-200 ppm. Exposures in other plant areas were much lower and so were the infection rates, no infection in the office area and outside the plant.
Eating diacetyl is different from inhaling it. Its effects are more harmful when inhaled. The dosage you would get from microwaving at home is low, less than a ppm and so is your risk of the lung disease. Since the safe level is not known, one can not say with certainty what the risk to the end user is, but it is most likely to be very low. If I enjoyed the microwave popcorn, I wouldn't stop for this reason. If you still have concerns, you can wait a few minutes before opening the microwave door. Ingestion of the diacetyl in the amounts contained in microwave popcorn is not very likely to cause harm either. In toxicology, it's all about the dosage and the workers are experiencing exposures at least 1-2 orders of magnitude greater than you would eating it at home. - Sanctums, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I prefer stove-top popcorn, taste better, cheaper, and apparently safer for people.
- dizzledaking, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, I'd probably get it too.
- endustry, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2The Washington Post title: "Flavoring Suspected in Illness."
Adolescent, Geraldo-style DIGG title: "Your Buttered Microwave Popcorn is Killing Workers."
No matter how twistedly-politicized you are in either direction, don't be a Geraldo. -
Show 51 - 99 of 99 discussions
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