Popcorn Poison

While variety may be the spice of life, many of us take comfort in routine. Whether it’s running a few miles every , reading the daily newspaper, or listening to a favorite radio talk show host to work, the quotidian nature of certain aspects of life provides a sense of balance and safety.

But about a year ago, one man’s routine culminated in a health scare that’s anything but routine.

In 2007, a Colorado man who for several years ate a couple of bags of microwaveable popcorn per day came down with a serious lung disease that has such deleterious effects it requires a lung transplant.

It’s called bronchiolitis obliterans, a disease more commonly referred to as popcorn lung, and it wreaks havoc on the body by clogging the lung’s airway passages (called bronchioles) due to inflammation and excess fluid that builds up. Its symptoms start out as fairly innocuous (dry cough) but become progressively worse (wheezing, difficulty breathing). The causes for bronchiolitis obliterans are many – ranging from infections to adverse reactions to certain drugs – but most people believe it’s primarily caused by noxious fumes, particularly those produced in factory settings. One such noxious fume is the chemical additive diacetyl, a butter-flavoring ingredient found in virtually every bag of butter-flavored microwave popcorn. And yes, the reason why the disease is called popcorn lung is because so many people who’ve contracted the disease work in these microwave popcorn-producing factories

Thankfully, companies like Orville Redenbacher and Act II took the proactive step last year and removed all diacetyl from their microwaveable varieties of popcorn. Weaver – another microwaveable popcorn company – was the first to make this move. I’m not one to give much credit to brand name companies that aren’t organic, but in this case, kudos to the microwave popcorn industry for making the smart move and removing diacetyl from their line of products.

What may not come as a surprise for my regular readers is my continued antipathy for the Food and Drug Administration who doggedly maintain that diacetyl is safe to consume, despite findings by the National Institute of Environmental Health that its vapors cause lymphocytic bronchiolitis in rats after just three weeks’ exposure! Lymphocytic bronchiolitis is a precursor to popcorn lung.

The House of Representatives have passed a bill that would limit factory workers’ exposure to diacetyl (I’m not sure what “limit” means; why not get rid of it entirely?), but the other house of Congress has yet to consider it. For followers of the political process, this is classic Washington: lots of talking, little results.

In the meantime, though I admire many popcorn makers’ move in “de-diacetyling” their microwave popcorn, it’s not enough for me to advise eating it. Popcorn is one of the best snacks to eat – it’s 100% whole grain, low in fat, low in calories and a great source of dietary fiber – but organic popcorn is a much safer, healthier bet. Further, I’m no fan of microwaving popcorn, not when there are hot-air poppers – every kernel is perfectly popped and it requires zero oil.

And if you’re like me and like to eat certain things on a regular basis, organic popcorn is one of the safest, healthiest snack food bets.