Buttery flavoring in microwave popcorn may be emitting dangerous fumes according to a federal regulators warning letter from a physician at a pulmonary specialist at Denver's National Jewish Medical and Research Center.

Doctors at the Center believe they have discovered the first case of a person who developed lung disease (popcorn lung) from exposure to the fumes of microwaving popcorn several times a day for many years.

Among popcorn factory workers, this potentially fatal disease has been the subject of lawsuits because of exposure to chemicals used for flavoring.

William Allsletter, a spokesman for the National Jewish Medical and Research Center confirmed that a letter sent by Dr. Cecile Rose reported that the researchers could not be sure that the patient's exposure to butter flavored microwave popcorn from daily heavy preparation has caused the lung disease; there is no other plausible explanation. Dr. Rose is a specialist in occupational and environmental lung diseases and director of the hospital's Occupational and Environmental Medicine Clinic. In the letter, Dr. Rose stated that although it is difficult to confirm findings through one case that popping buttered microwave popcorn at home can cause lung disease, she wanted to alert regulators of the potential health implications to the pubic.

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