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Post by gerald on Feb 28, 2017 15:18:55 GMT -5
I have posted part of this as it can potentially affect us all. The flavouring they are referring two is Diacetyl which is a liquid that provides a buttery flavour and causes what is referred to as Popcorn Lung. It showed up about 10 years ago in people who were constantly popping microwave popcorn and the flavourings were released into the air. The flavouring is used in all types of recipes, cake mxes etc. I find it concerns as Diacetyl was supposed to be a safe replacement for the prior flavouring that caused the same problem. --------------------------------- Commonly used food flavouring causing lung disease Substitute for widely used chemical that caused ‘popcorn lung’ may be nearly as bad By Amanda Silliker Nine employees of a microwave popcorn plant in Missouri had strikingly similar respiratory symptoms. They all had moderate to severe airway obstruction with bronchial wall thickening and air trapping. All employees had developed a dry persistent cough, shortness of breath on exertion and wheezing after an average of 1.5 years of employment, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the United States, which investigated the matter in 2000. After extensive testing and many incorrect diagnoses, these workers were all diagnosed with obliterative bronchiolitis, the inflammation, narrowing or obliteration of small airways (bronchioles) in the lung. The disease is uncommon, severe and irreversible. The majority of cases have limited or no response to medications. Five of the employees were on lung transplant waiting lists. The NIOSH investigation concluded that there was “a risk for occupational lung disease in workers with inhalation exposure to butter flavouring chemicals.” Further research also confirmed exposure to diacetyl — the buttery-flavoured chemical in question — leads to decrease in pulmonary function. After a spate of headlines on “popcorn lung,” many popcorn brands, such as Orville Redenbacher, announced they would no longer be using diacetyl in their manufacturing processes. Many companies decided to use 2,3-pentanedione as a replacement for diacetyl, but researchers are sounding the alarm bells on this chemical, too. “2,3-Pentanedione it is a chemical that is similar to diacetyl… and we know from studies done in the lab with animals it is just as hazardous to the lungs as diacetyl,” says Rachel Bailey, medical officer in NIOSH’s respiratory health division. As a result, in October, NIOSH came out with recommended exposure limits for diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione. NIOSH is recommending an exposure limit of 5 parts per billion (ppb) for diacetyl as a time-weighted average (TWA) for up to eight hours per day during a 40-hour workweek. It is also recommending a short-term exposure limit for diacetyl of 25 ppb for a 15-minute time period. (Snipped) www.cos-mag.com/occupational-hygiene/32661-commonly-used-food-flavouring-causing-lung-disease/Diacetyl en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diacetyl |
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