Diacetyl, a flavoring chemical in popcorn, has been linked to bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare life-threatening disease coined 'popcorn lung.' The disease has stricken some microwave popcorn plant employees who inhaled diacetyl vapors when mixing large batches of flavors. Hundreds of popcorn lung lawsuits are pending, and millions have been awarded in confidential settlements.

The average microwave popcorn consumer is not believed to be at risk, although earlier in 2007 the first case of the disease was reported in a consumer who inhaled microwave popcorn fumes several times a day for years. The Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association states there's no worry for consumers as long as popcorn bags are opened away from the face.

Now the four biggest microwave popcorn manufacturers, Weaver Popcorn Company, ConAgra Foods, General Mills and American Pop Corn, have removed the flavoring chemical diacetyl from nearly all their product recipes. But diacetyl may still be lurking on the shelves. Stores will sell the old popcorn product first.

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Yesterday's news about microwave popcorn containing dangerous fumes lit the health and general news circuits on fire.

I'm quite sure millions of American households enjoy microwave popcorn many nights of the week, and finding out it could possibly pose a health risk is like throwing a wet blanket on a warm fireplace.

A doctor at a leading lung hospital made the call, and he said that not just popcorn factory workers were in danger, but consumers as well. The culprit? Butter flavoring on the popcorn itself, via chemicals (instead of, umm, real butter).

Is this yet another reason to buy regular, unflavored popcorn and then use your own natural flavoring instead of flavor chemicals already on the corn itself? Sure it is. Microwaving chemicals used to make food taste good is never a good thing.

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You'd have to be living under a rock to have not heard all the controversy surrounding Trans Fats. Yeah, they're bad for you. Really bad. We get it. What would be more helpful would be if someone told us exactly what to avoid -- in short, what are the worst trans fat offenders? We know to check the labels on stuff at the grocery store, but what about when we're eating out or eating on the run and nutritional information isn't available?

Here's help from AOL. The frequent trans fat-rich foods are (drum roll, please), Nutrition Bars, microwave popcorn, salad dressing, cereal, baked goods (especially muffins), deli meats, margarine, shortening, oils and frozen entrees -- think chicken and fish fingers, frozen pizza, meat pies, waffles and even seemingly-healthy vegetarian meals.

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