Los Angeles Times, "Limits Sought on Worker Exposure to Flavor Agent"

          Emergency safety standards are needed to counter a widening outbreak of lung disease among workers exposed to a common ingredient in microwave popcorn, health experts and labor unions said Tuesday.
          The Teamsters and United Foods and Commercial Workers plan to file an emergency petition today demanding that the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration set exposure limits for diacetyl, a flavoring agent used in the manufacture of artificial popcorn butter, dog food and other products.
          According to the unions, the Bush administration has not acted quickly enough to stop exposure, resulting in increased health risks for thousands of workers in the multibillion-dollar flavoring industry.
          "The science is there, but these agencies are sitting on their hands," said David Michaels, a research professor in George Washington University's environmental and occupational health department who supports the petition. "Something needs to be done."