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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Doc Links Lung Disease, Popcorn

Too much 'buttery' microwave popcorn may have caused a man's illness

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(Newser) – A Colorado man's two-bag-a-day popcorn habit may be the cause of his mysterious respiratory illness, says a top lung specialist in Denver. Previously seen only in factory workers, the disease known as "popcorn lung" appears to arise from overexposure to a common flavoring chemical called diacetyl, the New York Times reported today.

Dr. Cecile Rose found symptoms of the disease (swollen airways, difficulty exhaling) in a man who later told her he had not only nuked popcorn twice daily for a decade, but also savored the diacetyl-laden fumes. Symptoms improved when he kicked the habit. Rose alerted regulators over a month ago with a letter that became public yesterday.

Pop Weaver popcorn has introduced the first microwave popcorn with flavoring containing no diacetyl. Diacetyl has recently come under increased scrutiny about its safety for consumers. (PRNewsFoto/Pop Weaver)
Pop Weaver popcorn has introduced the first microwave popcorn with flavoring containing no diacetyl. Diacetyl has recently come under increased scrutiny about its safety for consumers. (PRNewsFoto/Pop...   (Associated Press)
There are so many ways to prepare popcorn that maybe the process, not the product, was due for a comparison test.
There are so many ways to prepare popcorn that maybe the process, not the product, was due for a comparison test.   (KRT Photos)
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