Case Study 3: The poison that smells like butter: diacetyl and popcorn workers’ lung disease
By Molly M. Jacobs, David Kriebel, and Joel Tickner
[Download PDF] 19 pages
In 2000, a cluster of disabling and potentially fatal lung disease among workers was identified in a microwave popcorn plant in Jasper, Missouri. This shocking case study raises a troubling question: how could a chemical that can destroy a worker’s lungs in just a few months evade our system of chemical regulation?
Workers were once again the “canary in the coal mine” for the general public whose lungs are also being damaged by the artificial butter flavoring chemical, diacetyl.
"Take four bulldozers and put them on your chest. Then put an elephant on top of those bulldozers."
– Gerald Morgan, a microwave popcorn worker with Bronchiolitis Obliterans
This case points out the challenges of chemical-by-chemical regulation spanning multiple agency jurisdictions, and highlights the essential role played by occupational and environmental health specialists on the front lines in detecting and minimizing harm to workers.
Additional Resources
Selected resources from the web site of The Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy:
- A Case of Regulatory Failure: Popcorn Worker’s Lung.
- Continued tracking of actions related to diacetyl/popcorn worker’s lung and document archive.
Other Resources
- Continued research and resource materials on flavoring-related lung disease by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
- Options for State Chemicals Policy Reform: A Resource Guide. Lowell Center for Sustainable Production, University of Massachusetts Lowell, 2008.
