Diacetyl-containing butter flavor was identified as the
cause of an outbreak of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO)
and other lung diseases in popcorn-plant workers. Litigation
documents show that the outbreak was both
predictable and preventable. The industry trade organization
was aware of BO cases in workers at butter-flavoring
and popcorn-manufacturing plants but often
failed to implement industrial hygiene improvements
and actively hid pertinent warning information. Due to
weaknesses in the organization and mandates of regulatory
bodies, organizations such as NIOSH, OSHA,
the FDA, particularly the “generally recognized as safe”
(GRAS) system, and the EPA failed to detect and prevent
the outbreak, which highlights the need for systemic
changes in food-product regulation, including
the need for corporations to act responsibly, for
stronger regulations with active enforcement, for a
restructuring of the GRAS system, and for criminal
penalties against corporations and professionals who
knowingly hide information relevant to worker protection.