What is diacetyl and where is it found?
Diacetyl and related compounds produce the buttery odor and flavor of many foods. It occurs as a natural byproduct of fermentation and is found in several dairy products like butter, cheese and milk as well as in bread, coffee, brandy, and rum. It also is manufactured as a component of artificial butter flavoring that is used in butter-flavored microwave popcorn, candy, baked goods and cake mixes.
Additionally, several food companies have announced their plans to remove added diacetyl from microwave popcorn in order to provide employees with safest possible work environments and to address consumer concerns about potential risks.
Are there other flavors like diacetyl?
Yes. The FDA defines replacement flavors or flavoring agents as “substances added to impart or help impart a taste or aroma in food.” There are also flavor enhancers,which are “substances added to supplement, enhance, or modify the original taste and/or aroma of a food, without imparting a characteristic taste or aroma of its own.” Flavors and flavor enhances are considered part of the larger group of food additives which the FDA regulates. This includes determining their safety for use in food. For more information on food additives please view the “Food Ingredients and Colors” brochure developed in partnership with U.S. FDA and the IFIC Foundation.
Are there any significant health risks in consuming foods containing diacetyl?
No. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently classifies diacetyl as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) for consumption.
What about potential health effects of inhaling diacetyl vapors?
Interest in the possible inhalation effects of diacetyl developed when workers in a microwave popcorn production facility developed breathing problems in the late 1990’s. Since that time, experience with people working around diacetyl and research in animals suggest that repeated and frequent breathing of high concentrations of diacetyl in the air may be associated with an extremely rare lung condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans. The condition causes scarring of the small airways in the lung, which can result in less air exchange in the airways and over time, airway blockage. As with most medical issues, an individual’s medical history and on-going medical conditions may influence their response to diacetyl, so some individuals may be more sensitive than others to the inhalation effects of diacetyl.
In April 2007, the Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA) launched a program to address hazards and control measures associated with factories where butter-flavored microwave popcorn is produced.
The FDA continues to monitor research to further define and clarify any effects associated with breathing of diacetyl vapors.
Is the industry doing anything about the potential health effects to workers?
Yes. Because of the potential health risks from repeated exposure, the industry has implemented changes to reduce workplace exposure to diacetyl, including implementing engineering controls such as closed mixing tanks, separate mixing rooms for butter flavors, requiring respirators for mixing room operators, and improving air circulation in facilities. Additionally, several food companies have announced their plans to remove added diacetyl from microwave popcorn in order to address concerns about potential risks.
Putting Risk in Perspective: Here’s What you Need to Know . . .
Current research indicates that there may be a potential health risk for those individuals repeatedly exposed to high concentrations of diacetyl vapors for an extended period of time – such as individuals who work in facilities that manufacture or use certain flavorings containing diacetyl. There is no current evidence of a health risk for the general consumer who chooses to prepare and consume butter flavored popcorn as directed or any other product containing diacetyl as an artificial flavoring.
