« Non-Science Fridays: Genetic Discrimination Edition | Home | Safe Food Act of 2007 »
Diacetyl ban in California?
By AngryToxicologist | May 7, 2007
The WaPo reports today that Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D) has introduced a bill to ban diacetyl use by 2010. The chemical is an artificial butter flavoring most commonly used in microwave popcorn. Numerous studies have found links between the chemical used by flavor workers and a rare disease called bronchiolitis obliterans. For those of you who aren’t 2000 yr old Romans, that means that the bronchioles and some of the smaller bronchi are obliterated by masses made up of fiberous tissue. It’s like sticking marbles into the networks of tubes in your lung that connect fresh air to the alveoli, the little sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged with the blood. As you Romans can imagine, that’s haud sanus. According to the WaPo, flavoring manufacturers have paid out more than $100 million due to health lawsuits. An excellent case study and background to this whole mess can be found at Defending Science.
OSHA has known it’s a problem since 1999 but hasn’t done anything because it’s either too weak, or it doesn’t want to, or some combination. The state OSHA isn’t really moving on it either. Oh, I’m sorry, according to a MMWR from the CDC, “In April 2006, Cal/OSHA and CDHS implemented a cooperative intervention program to encourage the state’s entire flavor-manufacturing industry to implement the same measures.” Encourage. That’s the kind of protection our workers deserve, isn’t it? Soon we’ll move on to ‘friendly nudges’, ‘pleading looks’, and ‘good thoughts’.
Nothing will be done unless it’s regulated strongly, even by good companies and here’s why: Let say Bob’s Flavor Inc. wants to do the right thing and use an alternative flavoring that won’t hurt his workers. Bob knows, however, that this will drive up his prices and he’ll be driven out of the market by someone willing to do the wrong thing for a competitive advantage (See Amvac post again). Everyone is tied to the lowest cost operation, so the only way to make it safe for Bob to do the right thing is to level the playing field so that everyone has to do the right thing. So, Californians, tell your reps to support the bill. Do it for the workers. Do it for Bob.
Microwave popcorn just has problems all over the place. The coating on the inside of the packages give off PFCs that break down into PFOA when ingested (See the ‘Chemical Trespass’ post on May 2nd for more). The thing is, it’s just as easy to make better tasting, cheaper microwave popcorn yourself. I use a recipe from Alton Brown. I skip the olive oil and after popping just toss with some melted butter. Real butter, of course!
Topics: Toxics, food, how regs work |
May 8th, 2007 at 10:34 am
[…] Found via AngryToxicologist […]
May 8th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Ah, but your market analysis is missing an important factor. What if Bob chooses to heavily market the idea that his popcorn is the safer, more responsible choice?
But really we don’t need to speculate, because it’s already happening. There’s a huge boom right now in all kinds of “organic/natural/minimally processed” foods. Food producers are scrambling to meet the demand. And most of these products do cost more than the conventional alternatives. A critical mass of consumers have realized that it’s smarter to pay a little more for better safety and quality.
Government regulators are (as you point out) most often incompetent or downright corrupt. It’s in the nature of the system. Always has been. If you want to really change a market drastically, you need to educate the consumers.
May 8th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
I think the real devil is mass distribution and unbalanced desire of people to get what they want when they want. We have lost all sense of what it means to responsibly prepare and consume whole food.
Go local. If you must have blueberries in winter, use homemade preserves. Screw Chile.
Matt
May 8th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
Welcome Boing Bong readers! Thanks for clicking through. Bookmark and browse through the site to get more of the same.
Ed, That’s a good point but it only partially works, I think. I thought about mentioning it but didn’t for these reasons: 1) It only works if you’re marketing to the public (this not the case here, the people who make the flavors sell to other manufacturers) 2) It costs even more money to advertise which makes the proposition even more risky for ‘Bob’ and 3) This only works on a segment of the population and all the workers need protected. I agree that consumer education is very important because I think that consumer education drives the regulatory AND capitalist controls and that both sides are really needed.
Matt,
RE: ‘what they want when they want’.
That and false idea of ‘easy’ food making your life better somehow.
May 8th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
I would’ve never thought there would be a blog about toxicology. You must be a hero to chemistry teachers/professors the state over
May 8th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
These days the “easy food” sales pitch is either “you have a busy life, why waste time cooking” or “wouldn’t you rather spend your time eating with your family than cooking for your family”? What is lost is the that preparing food - including awareness of food origins - and eating food are part of the same ritual, older than probably any other, save mating. Food should be a major social focal point, yet we have successfully distilled it all down to economic models and chemical formulas that accurately simulate that facet of life without forcing us to really experience it.
As a side note, not totally unrelated, a year or two ago I saw an ad on TV that almost made me vomit: a toy “learning” laptop for toddlers. The tag line for the product was something like, “for my toddler, who is always on the go…” The narrator (mom) went on to explain the busy daily schedule of her 2 year old. That kid will have an ulcer by 7 and triple by-pass at 12. How about letting the kids be kids. How about including them in real life lessons instead of going down to the toddler drum circle at the local arts center, Gymborie (sic), pre-pre school, etc.
Someone better take away my soapbox.
Matt
May 8th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
[…] the chemical that produces that oh-so-good buttery flavor in microwave popcorn was found to have links with a rare disease called bronchiolitis […]
May 9th, 2007 at 3:56 am
[…] 9th, 2007 · No Comments Thanks to my roommate Sabrina for alerting me to this article on a great site called Angry Toxicologist. The article is about a possible ban on Diacetyl in […]
May 9th, 2007 at 8:06 am
[…] Link […]
May 9th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
I really wish I knew your real name “angry toxicologist”…God Bless you for your research and contribution to this horrific toxin, I for one am among the victims and know first hand the “hidden” dangers of a hidden toxic… ingredients by hidden labels and hidden money schemes.
I am glad I have found this site by accident (google sends me new alerts concerning popcorn lung)
Just want to thank you,. for your knowledge and doing something that the ordinary person cannot do…helping to stop it! Proverbs 3:5,6
May 10th, 2007 at 10:59 am
[…] Link […]
May 10th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
[…] Link […]
May 29th, 2007 at 11:44 am
If it’s so bad - why is it not banned?
September 5th, 2007 at 2:01 am
[…] in those working at, like, popcorn factories. For further details on this, please see the Angry Toxicologist. The Angry Toxicologist […]
September 5th, 2007 at 10:26 am
Why is it not banned? Because diacetyl is the natural fermentation product that gives butter its flavor. At the flavor house I used to work for, we used to use 1000’s of pounds of natural diacetyl every year in flavors…it was concentrated from butter as a byproduct of butter oil extraction. The synthetic diacetyl is cheaper and we also used boat loads of that, but chemically they are the same. Here is another one you don’t want to breath Allyl isothiocyanate AKA the natural flavor chemical in mustard.
September 5th, 2007 at 11:25 am
I wonder what’s in spray butter to give it that flavor. There’s no specific mention of diacetyl on the label.
September 5th, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I’m pregnant! I want to know about any harmful foods. This is an outrage! Thank God, I have only had one or two bags of microwavable butter popcorn since my pregnancy, but this is horrible, they need to put warnings on these packages! hell they need to start putting MSDS sheets on anything not fresh.
September 5th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
Ashley, under the FDA diacetyl when used in food must be accompanied by a GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) statement only; it would be potentially illegal to use the pure chemical MSDS which says Harmful and then use it in food. As a natural chemical that has been in the human diet since we started fermenting grains, fruit, and milk, banning it would mean banning or significantly changing many naturally fermented foods. If you are pregnant worry about the Allyl isothiocyanate in your dijon mustard. It is a known Class 1 carcinogen.
September 5th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
Our certified organic microwave popcorn has no diacetyl or other artificial flavorings. Just pure popcorn that pops great and tastes great. Grown by us in the USA. Give it a try at http://www.farmersteve.com
September 16th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I just wanted to point out that cub scouting pop corn has no diacetyl in it at all. The brand I am talking about is trails end. So eat healthy and support your local cub scouts. Want to order some? E-mail me and it will be delivered free to your door step. kreggsnyder1@aol.com
September 30th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
The real issue here is improper handling of chemicals. There are food manufacturers out there handling chemicals as if they are foods. The chemical industry is educated on handling chemicals and do this succesfully but somehow the food industry failed to recongnize they are handling dangerous flavor “chemicals”. The suppliers and workers of these chemical flavors are all live and well because they handled these chemicals properly. Ignorance is not an excuse and the food companies that do not provide the proper protection to their employees should be responsible for the damages that they caused to their employees and make the necessary changes to their facilities to make it a safe work environment. Banning Diacetyl will not protect the employees from the thousands of other chemical flavors that are added to food products globally. The root cause is ignorance and understanding how to handle chemicals properly or blatent disregard in the name of greed and profit. To ban diacetyl does not fix the root cause why workers where exposed to chemicals and will not protect future workers from being exposed from dangerous chemicals in the food industry. These food chemicals are know as dangerous in concentrated forms and generally recognized as safe(GRAS) in lower concentrations for consumption, not inhalation. It is obvious this basic concept has not, and still is not, understood and apparent after I read articles such as above and the hype on diacetyl.
September 30th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Wow! This is a great blog — thanks AngryTox guy. I used to work with this chemical a bit back in my flavor house days — never crossed my mind that it could be so dangerous (even though it does give off a very strong odor — but, then many flavor chemicals do). I used to rationalize that because diacetyl occurs naturally (in milk for instance), that it was okay. A lot has changed since those days…
September 30th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Check out: foodkarmaalert@blogspot.com
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:48 pm
I stopped eatting micro pop corn when I began getting accosted by doctors to take high blood pressure meds. I refused and began cutting salt. It was the first thing to go… Now I put popcorn in a brown paper bag and micro it and put organic butter on it and a small amount of salt…;-)
PS you are a hero… about time the people had one…;-)
October 5th, 2007 at 12:12 am
Can Diacetyl produced in malolactic fermentation of wine, have the same health affects as this article claims?
October 11th, 2007 at 10:46 pm
Good article telling us to microwave our own popcorn– which is a great idea.
But don’t staple the bag like the recipe calls for,
or we could have so many more law suits out there for the Angry Toxicologist. Crazy!
October 30th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
I just found out (from the manufacturer!) that Promise Margarine contains “minute amounts” of diacetyl under the umbrella listing of “artificial flavor.”FDA APPROVED! That’s not good enough for me, especially when I’m cooking with it (but not for long!)
November 7th, 2007 at 9:16 am
[…] popcorn butter flavoring harmful Posted on May 8, 2007 by mghicks This is terrible news for the popcorn mix! The WaPo reports today that Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D) has introduced a […]
November 20th, 2007 at 3:42 pm
I checked with crisco as diacetyl is not listed on the ingredients. Customer service acknowledges they do add it to butter flavoring as the FDA has not declared it unsafe. Unsafe for whom? Heat causes vaporization of this chemical quite easily. No more home made buttered popcorn or croutons for us.
December 14th, 2007 at 12:57 pm
I just had an email exchange with the Tillamook Cheese company about the “Natural Flavors” in their unsalted butter. A company rep told me that the two additives are Diacetyl and Lactic Acid. Interesting that they would not put these in the ingredients and somewhat revealing. I really think it’s high time that consumers get together and veto the “Artificial” and “Natural” flavor regulations. ALL INGREDIENTS should be listed. Food science has become way too much of a mystery and we have a right to know exactly what is in our food.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
My wife and I have been following this thread and this subject for some time (thanks for bringing it to our attention AngryToxicologist).
Hopefully we are not the only ones to notice that the latest batch of Orville Redenbacher ads now showing since on a TV near you (and since Christmas-time) are now stating something like “still in all our great flavors but without Diacetyl”!
January 15th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
Apologies for the dreadful grammar in that last post. My FireFox browser hiccup’d halfway through the post and I ended up repeating myself in the same sentence!
January 26th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Served a exoert in diacetyl matters. 605-624-4809
January 26th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Serverd as science exoert in bronchiolitis obliterans - diacetyl cases. EE
March 16th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
[…] Cancer Corn […]
April 5th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
I want my toxic popcorn back!! Cigarettes kill people too but who is banning that…ya. So why the hell because Bob got cancer should they ban popcorn that tastes good. Screw Bob. The damn california tap water I drink will cause cancer, but I don’t see them banning that either. Damn you Bob, you suck. Thanks for taking away one of the things in life I enjoyed,cancer causing or not.