"Popcorn Lung" Lawsuit Settled

Jenny Albano

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A man who filed a lawsuit claiming he incurred lung damage from a chemical in the flavoring of microwavable popcorn has reached a settlement with the popcorn flavoring company.

John Weimer Jr., who claims he suffered lung damage from a chemical called diacetyl found in buttery popcorn flavoring, filed a lawsuit against the International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. for being negligent. Weimer stated that the company knew that the flavoring posed a health hazard, but did not fulfill its duty to inform the public and governmental agencies.

The chemical diacetyl is linked to a respiratory disease called popcorn lung. The vapors from the flavoring cause lung damage in popcorn plant workers, but pose no risk to regular consumers. Weimer says he was injured when he worked at the Snappy Popcorn Company plant in Breda, Iowa as a manager.

The amount of the settlement cannot be released due to provisions prohibiting both sides from discussing the terms. Other workers from the plant have filed similar lawsuits for undisclosed amounts and the Snappy Popcorn plant discontinued their use of the product.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.