February/March 2017 19
WHAT'S YOUR
FLAVOUR?
ine employees of a microwave popcorn plant in Missouri had strikingly
similar respiratory symptoms. They all had moderate to severe airway
obstruction with bronchial wall thickening and air trapping. All employees
had developed a dry persistent cough, shortness of breath on exertion and
wheezing after an average of 1.5 years of employment, according to the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the
United States, which investigated the matter in 2000.
Substitute for widely used fl avouring chemical
that caused 'popcorn lung' may be nearly as bad
By Amanda Silliker
wheezing after an average of 1.5 years of employment, according to the
