A Colorado man has recovered a $7 million verdict from a microwave popcorn manufacturer after the man was diagnosed with “microwave popcorn lung.”
The man ate two bags of popcorn daily for years and claims there should have been a warning on the bag. The artificial butter used on the popcorn formerly contained dicetyl, which has been linked to lung problems in workers in microwave popcorn plants.
“It’s kind of a weird story, isn’t it? A guy gets sick by breathing in the toxic fumes of dicetyl that is on butter-flavored microwave popcorn in the sanctity of his own kitchen,” the man said.
Source: “Centennial Man Wins $7M In ‘Popcorn Lung’ Case,” CBS Local (Denver), September 9, 2012
Maureen Martin, a former legal fellow at The Heartland Institute, passed away on February 5, 2013.
