DIACETYL

COFFEE FLAVOURINGS TARGETED IN DIACETYL LAWSUIT

The National Coffee Association (NCA) in the US says workers at a coffee plant in Texas have sued flavouring manufacturers for exposure to diacetyl in the workplace. Diacetyl is a chemical compound commonly used in food flavourings to impart taste. Earlier law suits have focused on manufacturers of microwave popcorn; this case, described by the NCA earlier this year, may signal the first palpable impact for coffee.

The NCA said the plaintiffs, who worked in the plant’s flavourings room, sued the makers of flavourings being applied to coffee. Their action alleges that the manufacturers failed to disclose, warn or instruct about potential dangers of exposure to airborne diacetyl.

They are seeking damages based on diagnoses of a lung disease called bronchiolitis obliterans, or ‘Popcorn Workers’ Lung.’ The condition is characterized by irreversible damage to the smallest of the lung airways, which can narrow or occlude. It is rarely seen in the general population.

The NCA said diacetyl’s potential effects of human health first emerged in 2000, when eight mixing and packaging employees at a Missouri microwave popcorn plant became unwell. While the compound remains associated with butter-flavoured popcorn, it is also used in flavours like vanilla, caramel and butterscotch, and is found in a wide variety of foods, including cooking oils, candy, chips and frosting. Apart from flavourings, however, diacetyl is also found naturally in low concentrations in many foods, including coffee, vinegar, dairy products, honey and fruits. It is also a natural by-product of the conversion of glucose to ethanol during the fermentation of beer.

For more information see the forthcoming January 2013 issue of Coffee & Cocoa International.

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