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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.

 

News Article Excerpt
June 13, 2007
Insurance News.net, "Diacetyl Butter Flavoring Dangers: Food and Commercial Workers Applaud Congressional Effort to Force OSHA to Do Its Job"
          The UFCW applauds Congressional efforts to force the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to regulate Diacetyl--a dangerous chemical that has killed at least three workers and injured hundreds of others. Today, U.S. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) introduced H.R. 2693, a bill which would compel OSHA to issue a standard regulating worker exposure to this deadly chemical.
          Diacetyl is a chemical used to impart the flavor of butter in popcorn, pastries, frozen foods, and candy. Each day that they report to work, tens of thousands of food processing workers are exposed to Diacetyl--a dangerous chemical that has been connected to a potentially fatal lung disease. There have been dozens of cases of what has become known as "popcorn workers lung," or bronchiolitis obliterans--a severe, disabling, and often-fatal lung disease experienced by food industry workers across the nation. Despite compelling evidence that Diacetyl presents a grave danger and significant risk of life threatening illness to employees exposed to the chemical, there are currently no OSHA standards requiring exposures to be controlled.
          Last year, The UFCW, together with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, petitioned the Department of Labor (DOL) to issue an Emergency Temporary Standard to stop the continued risk of Diacetyl exposure to workers. Forty-two of the nation's leading occupational safety scientists signed on to an accompanying letter agreeing that there is more than enough evidence for OSHA to regulate this dangerous chemical. Still, OSHA did not act. "OSHA has been sitting on evidence that there is a direct correlation between Diacetyl and popcorn workers lung for years. By not regulating this dangerous chemical, OSHA has neglected its responsibility to food workers," said Jackie Nowell, UFCW Safety & Health Director. "The idea that it would take an act of Congress to get OSHA to do its job and protect workers is appalling."

Learn more about diacetyl butter flavoring dangers and lawsuits.

About Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP
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.
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For the last five 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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"Popcorn firms removing diacetyl linked to lung ailments in factory workers"
December 18, 2007, Associated Press

The nation's four biggest makers of microwave popcorn have removed a flavoring chemical linked to a lung ailment in popcorn plant workers from nearly all their products. The companies say all their microwave popcorn recipes should be changed by January. More...

To read more press articles on the Popcorn Lung litigation, click here.


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