From our "You can trust us" Dept:
ConAgra, the world's largest supplier of the 3 billion bags of microwave popcorn sold each year, said Tuesday that it will eliminate the use of a controversial chemical butter flavoring linked to severe lung disease in workers from its Act II and Orville Redenbacher products.
Dr. David Egilman, an occupation medicine specialist, has examined and testified for many of the workers injured by diacetyl.
"People need to realize that these illness and deaths were completely preventable," Egilman said. "They occurred because the companies who make these products hid the information on toxicity and control the regulatory process. ... An emasculated government public health community that is subservient to corporate profits cannot protect us
-- even from popcorn."
Weaver, the first microwave popcorn company to remove diacetyl, said it had taken its action because of concerns for consumers who were "growing more anxious" over the presence of the chemical.
On Tuesday, ConAgra corporate spokeswoman Stephanie Childs said no date for the production of popcorn without the flavoring had been determined, but it would be in the "near future." The action will be taken to protect ConAgra workers, she said.