Microwave Popcorn Possible Cancer Risk…

Posted on July 13, 2008 by DFHS Article Team

Just When You Thought it Was Safe to Enter the Kitchen…

Can you believe that popcorn bags are actually made out of paper that has to be coated with a substance to repel grease and moisture so the bag doesn’t become soggy and rip while it’s getting heated in the microwaave. The chemicals used to coat the paper break down, when heated, in to a substance called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA).

The Environmental Protection Agency has identified PFOA as a "lilely carcinogen."

But – it gets worse…

Not only is the bag coating a carcinogen, but also the fake butter flavoring. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health determined that a disease that destroys lung tissue was triggered by exposure to the artificial butter flavoring. This study was done after 24 workers in a Missouri microwave popcorn plant got this disease that was destroygin their lungs. And it wasn’t just 24 workers affected. There were 130 other employees who had high rates of bronchitis and asthma from this butter flavoring.

What’s the deadly ‘added extra’ in the fake butter? Diacetyl.

It gives artificial butter it’s flavor and smell. This is an FDA-approved chemical that is also found in many wines, cookies, candies, beers, and cheese-flavored products.

In Nov ’05 54 former workers from the popcorn plant settled lawsuits out of court, while 4 others went to trial and the verdict totaled mover $50 million dollars in compensation for the 7 workers.

How can the FDA approve something known to kill your lungs? That’s absurd.

So before you make your next bag of microwave popcorn, thing of what it’s doing to your health. More people should go back to the good old fashioned method of popping kernels in oil in pots on the stove.

Posted by DFHS Article Team