Study: Diacetyl Substitute is Respiratory Hazard

A new study suggests that an ingredient used in microwave popcorn used to give it its flavor and aroma of butter may pose a respiratory hazard.

The ingredient, 2,3 pentanedione (PD), started being used when another butter flavoring, diacetyl, was found to cause bronchiolitis obliterans, which is a life threatening lung disease with no cure, in workers who inhaled the substance, according to an Elsevier Health Sciences press release.

New research on PD with implications for “popcorn workers’ lung” is published in the American Journal of Pathology and indicates that acute PD exposure has respiratory toxicity which is comparable to diacetyl in laboratory animals.

“Our study demonstrates that PD, like diacetyl, damages airway epithelium in laboratory studies. This finding is important because the damage is believed to be the underlying cause of bronchiolitis obliterans,” said lead author Dr. Ann Hibbs, Health Effects Laboratory Division of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Our study also supports established recommendations that flavorings should be substituted only when there is evidence that the substitute is less toxic than the agent it replaces.”

If you or a loved one has been harmed by chemical exposure, contact Sokolove Law for a free legal consultation and to find out if you may be able to pursue legal action. For legal help, call (800) 581-6358.

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