Scientist warn of lung disease linked to chemical in food flavorings

By Brian Cole

Published on April 25, 2006

More than 150 former popcorn plant workers have sued companies supplying or making butter flavoring that contains the chemical diacetyl. The chemical is thought to cause bronchiolitis obliterans, an aggressive lung disease that destroys tissue and can be fatal without a lung transplant.

So far, over $100 million dollars have been awarded to workers affected by the chemical.

Dr. Kathleen Kreiss, chief of the field studies branch of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, believes the flavoring industry is still failing to protect its workers.

"We need to get into some of these plants because we don't have confidence that the flavoring industry has taken steps to actually prevent this disease, and we need to determine how widespread the exposure may be," she said.

While scientists at NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration want to investigate the matter further, leaders of those agencies say they don't plan to act because they believe enough is currently being done.

David Michaels, an epidemiologist at George Washington University's School of Public Health analyzed the OSHA's handling of the disease and called their actions "criminal."

30 suits from workers are still pending against the flavoring industry.

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