Can microwave popcorn give you cancer?

[Guest guest]

That question is the gist of this e-mail

from an HSI member named

Steve: "What do you know about the current research that shows

carcinogens on the inside of the bags of microwavable popcorn?

According to a news item, the FDA claims the bags are safe, but I do

not trust whatever I hear from them. As someone who has eaten a lot of

microwave popcorn, I am concerned. If the claim is true, do you know

what the potential danger exists?"

 

Well, Steve...I've got good news, and I've got bad news...

 

 

-----------

 

Inside out

-----------

 

 

Microwave popcorn bags are made of paper, but the inside of the bag has

to be coated with something that will repel grease and moisture to

prevent the bag from becoming a soggy mess while it's whirling and

popping in your microwave oven. When the mix of chemicals used to coat

microwave bags is heated, some compounds are known to break down into a

substance called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

 

Here's the bad news: According to the Environmental Protection Agency,

PFOA has been identified as a "likely carcinogen."

 

So how much PFOA migrates from the bag to the popcorn? That's the

question FDA researchers set out to answer in a study published this

past October. Using a technique known as liquid chromatography-mass

spectrometry, the FDA team determined that a relatively small amount of

PFOA made it into the popcorn.

 

If we put aside our general wariness of the FDA for the moment and

accept this study's finding at face value, then the obvious good news

is that you'll have to eat quite a bit of microwave popcorn to consume

a significant amount of PFOA.

 

And I'm afraid the good news ends there, because at this point it's

impossible to say how much PFOA might be required to present a cancer

danger. But here's the really unsettling part: The FDA team estimates

that blood levels of PFOA from microwave popcorn may account for only

about 20 percent of the average level found in blood samples of U.S.

consumers. So whether you eat two bags of Jolly Time per day or none at

all, you're probably getting plenty of PFOA exposure from a wide range

of other sources.

 

-----------

 

The popcorn plant

-----------

 

 

Unfortunately, there may be more than just a carcinogen in the popcorn

bag.

 

In the e-Alert "Could Popcorn be Worse for Your Lungs than Cigarettes?"

(11/7/01), I told you about an incident at a Missouri microwave popcorn

plant in which two-dozen workers developed a rare and potentially

deadly disease that destroys lung tissue. The culprit: According to a

report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH), the disease was triggered by exposure to artificial butter

flavoring.

 

The initial report noted that 130 plant employees had twice the

national average rates of bronchitis and asthma and more than three

times the rate of obstructed breathing. Ironically, the effects were

even worse for people who had never smoked - their rates of obstructed

breathing were almost 11 times higher than the national average.

 

 

NIOSH officials believe that a single ingredient in the

artificial butter flavoring is to blame for this rash of respiratory

diseases. It's called Diacetyl, and it's the chemical compound that

gives most artificial butter its flavor and aroma. The widely used (and

FDA-approved) additive is also found in many wines, beers, cookies,

candies, and cheese-flavored products.

 

In November 2005, the last of 54 former workers at the popcorn plant

settled their lawsuits out of court. Four other cases involving seven

workers went to trial and resulted in verdicts that totaled more than

$50 million dollars in compensation for the workers.

 

According to the Wall Street Journal, NIOSH officials believe it's

"safe for consumers to eat microwave popcorn and other artificially

flavored products that have received FDA approval."

 

And if you feel reassured by that statement then I have a beautiful

bridge in New York that I'm willing to let go at a bargain price. But

between Diacetyl, PFOA and trans fatty acids (oh, you KNOW they're in

there), it may be time to pass on the bridge deal and purchase an air

popper instead.

 

****************************************************