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An
outbreak of a severe lung disease has occurred
among workers exposed to artificial butter flavoring at factories producing microwave
popcorn.
Click
here to contact attorneys and lawyers for
microwave popcorn and other snack industry workers
with lung injuries. |
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| Below is a partial list of factories in the U.S. that reportedly produce microwave popcorn and other snack foods using butter flavoring agents. This list is not meant to imply that any workers at these plants have been injured by exposure to artificial butter flavoring. |
California
Carmi Flavors and Fragrances, Commerce; Conagra Grocery Products, Irvine; Gaslamp Popcorn
Company, San Diego; Mastertaste, Commerce; Mission Flavors and Fragrances, Foothill Ranch; Western Flavors and Fragrances, Livermore;
Connecticut
Lincoln Snacks Company, Stamford; Newman's Own,
Westport
Florida
Barnard Nut Company, Miami; Mastertaste, Lakeland & Planet City.
Illinois
Cornfields, Gurnee; Gilster-Mary Lee Corp.,
Chester; Lee Gilster-Mary Corp., Momence; Tee
Lee Popcorn, Shannon
Indiana
Amish Country Popcorn, Berne; Ellis Popcorn
Co., West Terre Haute; Family Time Popcorn,
Inc., Valparaiso; Gettelfinger Popcorn, Palmyra;
Jones Popcorn, New Albany; Kirk's Popcorn Co.,
Topeka; Vogel Popcorn, Corydon; Weaver Popcorn
Co., Markle, Crawfordsville, Huntingburg, Van
Buren, Indianapolis & New Richmond; Yoder
Popcorn Inc., Topeka
Iowa
American Pop Corn Co., Sioux City; Conagra Foods,
Hamburg; Manson Industries, Manson; Noble Distributor,
Sac City
Kentucky
Ellis Popcorn Company, Murray
Massachusetts
New England Pretzel & Popcorn, Lawrence
Minnesota
Conagra Foods, Minneapolis
Missouri
Mary Lee Packaging Corp., Perryville; Mastertaste, Fenton & Greenville.
Nebraska
Lincoln Snacks Company, Lincoln
New Jersey
Mastertaste, Clark & Teterboro.
Pennsylvania
Reist Popcorn Company, Mount Joy
South
Carolina
International Cup Corp., Bennettsville; Soller,
Bennettsville
Tennessee
Mastertaste, Crossville.
Wisconsin
Mastertaste, Waunakee.
Canada
Mastertaste, Granby
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Frequently
Asked Questions
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| Q:
Why have workers at microwave popcorn plants developed illnesses?
Q:
What specific types of worker injuries have been caused
by exposure to artificial-butter flavoring?
Q:
I have heard several microwave popcorn workers have been
diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans. What is this
disease?
Q:
Do other kinds of foods use butter flavoring?
Q:
Are only workers at microwave popcorn factories at risk?
Q:
What's being done to protect workers?
Q:
How can workers contact the NIOSH to report a plant that
may have a problem?
Q:
If I have suffered an injury I believe is due to breathing
butter flavoring vapors where I work, how can I receive
compensation?
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| Q:
Why have workers at microwave popcorn plants developed illnesses?
A:
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH) reports that it has found cases of severe lung
disease among workers at popcorn factories who breathed
butter flavoring vapors, which contain the chemical diacetyl.
Animal studies conducted by NIOSH showed that diacetyl
in popcorn butter flavoring was highly toxic to the airways
of rats.
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| Q:
What specific types of worker injuries have been caused
by exposure to artificial butter flavoring?
A:
In other lawsuits by workers at factories using artificial
butter flavoring, the workers have alleged that their
exposure to butter flavor mixtures have resulted in damage
to their respiratory systems in the form of asthma, bronchiectasis,
bronchiolitis obliterans, chronic bronchiolitis, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, emphysema, and severe lung
impairment.
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Q:
I have heard several microwave popcorn workers have been
diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans. What is this
disease?
A:
Bronchiolitis obliterans is an obliteration or chronic
scarring of the lung's airways which does not not respond
to normal asthma medication. It is a life-threatening
disease. To learn more, click here. |
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| Q:
Do other kinds of foods use butter flavoring?
A:
Yes. Many different types of butter flavoring are used
in products from snack cakes to candy to frozen foods.
NIOSH is concerned that workers in some of these industries
may be at risk of lung damage as well.
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Q:
Are only workers at microwave popcorn factories at risk?
A:
No. Investigators at the NIOSH say that workers who make
a wide variety of products, from candy to snack cakes
to potato chips, could be at risk of developing a severe
lung disease associated with breathing butter flavoring
vapors. Artificial butter is used in the manufacture of
a wide range of food products. ''We know that butter flavorings
are very widely used,'' said Dr. Gregory Wagner, director
of the NIOSH's Division of Respiratory Disease Studies.
''What we don't know is how much injury has occurred.''
Lieff Cabraser is reviewing claims of injuries by workers
outside the popcorn industry exposed to diacetyl.
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| Q:
What's being done to protect workers?
A:
Federal agencies have issued recommended safety guidelines.
Industry groups say they also are working with their members
to ensure a safe workplace.
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| Q:
How can workers contact the NIOSH to report a plant that
may have a problem?
A:
The NIOSH has a lung disease hotline at 1-800-232-2114.
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| Q:
If I have suffered an injury I believe is due to breathing
butter flavoring vapors where I work, how can I receive
compensation?
A:
You should speak to an attorney experienced in personal
injury cases. Lieff Cabraser will
provide you a prompt case review for no charge or obligation.
We are currently representing workers with "popcorn
lung" disease. Please click
here to contact us.
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About
Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
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| Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP, is one of the largest
law firms in the nation that represents only plaintiffs.
We have a team of personal injury lawyers, assisted by multiple
nurses, scientific advisors and medical experts, dedicated
to advancing our clients interests, including clients that
have suffered permanent lung injuries. We are currently
representing workers with "popcorn workers" lung
disease. |
| For the last six years, the National
Law Journal has
selected our firm as one of the top plaintiffs' law
firms in the nation. We have represented thousands of persons
in personal injury lawsuits across America, including residents
of Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee,
Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin,
West Virginia and Wyoming. To learn about the competitive
advantages we offer clients with personal injuries, please click
here. |
| Lieff
Cabraser attorneys provide legal advice and practice law
for clients in federal courts throughout the United States
and in state courts where we are licensed to practice. |
| In
states where we are not licensed to practice, we have affiliations
with local attorneys who serve as co-counsel with our firm,
including attorneys throughout the midwest. For example,
in Indiana, we are associated with the Indiana law firm
of Cohen & Malad, LLP in this litigation. In Missouri,
we are associated with attorney Kenneth B. McClain of the
law firm Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, P.C. Please
read our disclaimer. |
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Lieff
Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
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Copyright
© 2009 Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein,
LLP
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"More workers file lawsuits over popcorn flavoring"
April 17, 2009, Associated Press
Dozens of plant workers who claim their health was damaged by exposure to a chemical used to give a buttery flavor to microwave popcorn have filed lawsuits in Cincinnati against makers of the flavoring. At least 43 workers filed lawsuits claiming their lungs were irreversibly damaged by inhaling fumes from the chemical diacetyl, which provides the buttery taste. More...
To read more press articles on the Popcorn
Lung litigation, click here.
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| In 2007, Lieff Cabraser
attorneys, with local co-counsel, obtained a $50
million verdict against Daimler Chrysler in
a wrongful death action. Our firm has participated
in over thirty-five $100 million-plus settlements
and verdicts, including ten
cases in excess of $1 billion. |
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