Diet Write
by DietWrite, Diet.com's Diet and Fitness News Reporter

A Colorado man was awarded $7.2 million last week in a lawsuit he filed after being diagnosed with a respiratory disease nicknamed "microwave popcorn lung." The official name is bronchiolitis obliterans, and it is caused by inhaling a chemical named dicetyl. This chemical at one point could be found in butter-flavored microwave popcorn. Rest at ease, the chemical is no longer in artificial butter, due to complaints and lawsuits filed several years ago by popcorn factory workers.

In the past, only popcorn factory workers were diagnosed with "popcorn lung". The Colorado man was the first non-worker to get the respiratory disease. Apparently, he was eating two bags of popcorn daily, which exposed him to harmful levels of dicetyl.

Check out the full story: Colorado Man Wins $7 Million in 'Popcorn Lung' Lawsuit

So while the average person probably doesn't consume two bags of popcorn a day, it's still a frightening story. It's disturbing to think about the idea of toxic fumes being in our food. As consumers we expect that what we consume is safe. Articles like this one unfortunately make us think twice.