Love popcorn? Mmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmm! Especially when it's the quick kind you just throw in the microwave. Who doesn't love it? The workers in the Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. in Jasper, MO, where microwave popcorn is produced.
"Altogether, eight employees . . . have developed bronchiolitis obliterans a type of irreversible lung damage after being exposed to the [artificial butter] flavoring while mixing and packaging popcorn, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said.
"Four of the workers need lung transplants. . . . An additional 21 of the plant's 117 workers show signs of lung problems, but the cause is still under investigation."
Officials are quick to point out that there is no danger to the public as the problems were caused by breathing the vapors from the large vats of the flavoring.
"Investigators suspect a chemical in the butter flavoring, possibly diacetyl, is causing the damage, said Dr. Eduardo Simoes, a Missouri state epidemiologist. Tests on rats should identify the cause, he said."
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Jesus is the joy of living
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Linda
