JessGoFixItPost

**The Dangers of Popcorn (word count 702) **
 * Popcorn is one of the oldest and most loved American foods. In New Mexico, archaeologists found 4000 year old ears of corn in a cave. The Native Americans used corn in their diet and as decoration for homes and for ceremonial dances. Once popped, the corn can be pounded into a powdery meal that can then be mixed with water and eaten. There are six different types of corn (sweet, dent, flint, pod, flour and popcorn) of which only popcorn pops. Water is what makes the kernel pop. When heated the water expands, causing the popcorn to explode, the urns inside out and the soft starch takes on either a snowflake shape or a mushroom shape. Popcorn is nutritious and cheap. The issue is when we attempt to package it to be microwavable. **[[file:///C:/Users/Jess/Documents/Sustainability%20Problems/go%20fix%20it.docx#_ftn1|[1]]]


 * The chemical – diacetyl- that is used as an artificial butter flavor has been linked to serious health risks including severe lung disease. After the deaths of employees at processing plants, measures were taken to bring studies proving the health risks to the Occupational Safety and Administration. “ ** There is also now evidence that diacetyl causes bronchiolitis obliterans outside the workplace. In July, a physician at one of the leading respiratory disease hospitals in the country notified several regulatory agencies, including OSHA, of a case of bronchiolitis obliterans in a 53-year-old male patient whose exposure to diacetyl comes from consumer use of butter-flavored microwave popcorn. ”[[file:///C:/Users/Jess/Documents/Sustainability%20Problems/go%20fix%20it.docx#_ftn2|[2]]] **The OSHA still only lists ‘guidance’ about the dangers of diacetyl and states that the guidance is intended to help employers provide a safe workplace but they cannot be cited for violating ‘guidance’. In lab studies, rodents have died from diacetyl exposure. **[[file:///C:/Users/Jess/Documents/Sustainability%20Problems/go%20fix%20it.docx#_ftn3|[3]]]


 * After reading this, I immediately checked all of the popcorn in the house to see if any contained this substance. They all contained ‘artificial flavoring’ which could be diacetyl since the companies are not required under the guidance to state its use. They also all contained TBHQ. This is a preservative (tertiary Butylhydroquinone) that is a form of butane and it extends the shelf life of foods. FDA guidelines allow 0.02% of the total oils in food to be TBHQ and it can increase ADHD when consumed in large amounts. **[[file:///C:/Users/Jess/Documents/Sustainability%20Problems/go%20fix%20it.docx#_ftn4|[4]]]


 * A recent study from UCLA, links the chemicals from the lining of the bag to a class of compounds that can cause infertility in humans. Microwaving these chemicals causes them to vaporize and enter the popcorn. Once ingested, they can stay in your body for years, allowing them to accumulate to dangerous levels. Manufacturers have promised to phase out this chemical by 2015, but that is still years away. **[[file:///C:/Users/Jess/Documents/Sustainability%20Problems/go%20fix%20it.docx#_ftn5|[5]]]


 * The Boy Scouts of America sell Trail’s End popcorn as a fundraiser. As one of their goals is to help the environment, Trail’s End has converted their popcorn packaging from metal tins and plastic pails to thinner bags. They have more product weight than shipping weight and have reduced the about of disposable waste in their packaging from 6.0 ounces to 0.9 ounces (compared to the metal tin) and have received the Silver Award for Sustainability for their 2011 Flexible Packaging. **[[file:///C:/Users/Jess/Documents/Sustainability%20Problems/go%20fix%20it.docx#_ftn6|[6]]]


 * What’s a simple fix for these issues? Popping your own, natural kernels in a skillet. This keeps cost down and allows you to add your own natural flavors, seasonings, and real butter and only takes a minute or two longer than the microwave. A 13 pound bag of popcorn on Amazon is listed for $17 or you can buy 7.5 pounds of Orville Redenbacher’s microwavable popcorn for $24 or 5 pounds of their ‘natural’ popcorn for $28. Stick to the real stuff and pop your popcorn the safe way. **[[file:///C:/Users/Jess/Documents/Sustainability%20Problems/go%20fix%20it.docx#_ftn7|[7]]]

Source Annotation 1

1. “Popcorn…An American Food.” //The Home Extension Line.// The Popcorn Board, Chicago, IL. pub. Sarasota County Extension Service, Aug 2004, Vol 4, Issue 4. []

2. //The Home Extension Line// is a newsletter that is published by the Family and Consumer Sciences Department at the University of Florida – Sarasota County Extension. Their goal is to provide scientific knowledge on subjects related to agriculture and human/natural resources to raise the standard of living for the residents of Sarasota County.

3. The text explains the history and science behind popcorn. It also advocates the use of non-microwavable popcorn, while also arguing that eating natural popcorn is healthy and cost effective.

4. The main topic is fleshed out by detailing the science behind what makes popcorn pop. They also explain proper cooking techniques and show the nutritional value of natural popcorn.

5. “Popcorn is one of the oldest American foods and has had a significant role in our history. Some of the oldest ears of popcorn were found in 1948 by archaeologists exploring the Bat Cave in west central New Mexico. These ears were proven to be about 4000 years old.”

“Processors generally adjust the moisture level in popcorn to 13.5 or 14 percent to insure maximum popability.”

“Popcorn is a good source of carbohydrate energy and fiber…one cup of popped popcorn has thirty-one calories if eaten plain.”

6. This text helps to show that natural popcorn can be beneficial to us, making it clear that the packaging, not the product itself, is the main issue. It also helps establish a fix to the problem in that Americans go back to naturally cooked popcorn and not microwavable bags.

7. I referenced the history of popcorn in America and the science behind what makes popcorn pop in my presentation and wiki post.

Source Annotation 2

1. “ “Hazard Communication Guidance for Diacetyl and Food Flavorings Containing Diacetyl.” []

2. This article comes directly from the United States Department of Labor from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

3. The main argument of the text is to state that new studies show health effects of diacetyl and food flavorings containing diacetyl (FFCD). Guidance is provided for employers who produce or use the chemical. It also explains ways to determine the hazards and lack of information about the chemical.

4. The main argument is shown by detailing the specific effects and studies that have been done on the chemical. The article then goes on to clearly state the preventative measures that it recommends employers should take and states what it requires employers to do. It also leaves room for future studies to arise and change the nature of the stated ‘guidance’.

5. “This guidance is not a standard or regulation, and it creates no new legal obligations. It is advisory in nature, informational in content, and is intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace…failure to implement any specific recommendations in this guidance is not, in itself, a violation of the General Duty Clause. Citations can only be based on standards, regulations and the General Duty Clause.”

“Recent studies have shown respiratory tract damage and death among rodents exposed to diacetyl and butter flavorings containing diacetyl… recent inhalation studies have deomonstrated that exposure of rats to butter flavorin vapors containing high concentrations of diacetyl caused epithelial injury in the nasal passages and pulmonary airways.”

“Based on current information, labels for containers of food flavorings containing one percent or more diacetyl must contain hazard warning statements.”

6. The evidence supports my argument because it is going straight to the source. Scientists say that diacetyl is dangerous and this article clearly states how the United States government intends to respond to that evidence. It goes into one of the specific chemicals used in making microwavable popcorn.

7. From the text, I used their specifications as the differences between a standard, regulation and guidance. I also used their specific information as to the effects of the chemical, the results of completed studies and the known effects of the chemical.

 “Popcorn…An American Food.” //The Home Extension Line.// The Popcorn Board, Chicago, IL. pub. Sarasota County Extension Service, Aug 2004, Vol 4, Issue 4. [] <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> Byrd, LaMont. “Letter About Artificial Butter Flavor Chemical Diacetyl.” 7 Sept 2007. [] <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> “Hazard Communication Guidance for Diacetyl and Food Flavorings Containing Diacetyl.” [] <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> “TBHQ – Why this preservative should be avoided.” 14 Feb 2011. [] <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> Underwood, Anne. “7 Foods that should never cross your lips.” [] <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> “Film Adds Pop to Caramel Corn Sales.” 2010. [] <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> Negrin, Julie. “What popcorn can teach us about eating right.” 5 Feb 2010. []