OSHA should've acted sooner on popcorn

[Omaha Steve]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/335177_popcorn12.html

By CINDY SKRZYCKI
COLUMNIST

There seems to be more than a kernel of truth in findings that a chemical in the buttery flavoring that coats microwave popcorn can cause serious and potentially fatal lung disease.

On Sept. 24, as the House was about to mandate action, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced it would begin making a rule and taking other steps to protect workers from inhaling the chemical, diacetyl.

"All of these things could have been done years ago," David Michaels, director of the George Washington University Project on Scientific Knowledge and Public Policy, said of OSHA's plan. "And they wouldn't do anything but for fear of legislation."

The response by the agency, which has almost completely refrained from regulating during the Bush years, suggests Democrats may force more attention on worker safety in the closing months of the administration.

The Democrats are using oversight hearings to pressure officials at OSHA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Food and Drug Administration. They have criticized the agencies' reluctance, and in some cases, refusal, to create and enforce health and safety rules.

The flavored-popcorn dispute includes unusual political and economic splits. The Bush administration and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposed the House bill, in part because they don't want Congress writing the terms of the rule. The flavoring industry and 47 House Republicans favored the bill.

FULL story at link.

[NYC]

1. Even consumers can be harmed.

http://www.asse.org/professionalaffairs/govtaffairs/gaupdate/?issue=2007-09-17&article=614

Monday, September 17th

This story that a New York doctor has notified the FDA about a patient who she believes was affected by popcorn fumes breathed at home has hit the popular press. The Washington Post actually interviewed the person, who ate a lot of microwave popcorn. The article is at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/
2007/09/06/AR2007090600348.html?hpid=sec-health.
(This link does not work for me.)

The doctor’s letter can be found at
http://www.defendingscience.org/case_studies/upload/National_Jewish_FDA_Letter.pdf.
(Nor does this one, but I remember reading the article and the letter.)


The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association issued a statement recommending that its members reduce "to the extent possible" the amount of diacetyl in butter flavorings they make. Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association:

http://www.femaflavor.org

One national popcorn manufacturer, Weaver Popcorn Co. of Indianapolis, said that it would replace the butter flavoring ingredient because of consumer concern.