DEMONSTRATE AN UNDERSTANDING OF A ETHICAL CONCERN AS IT APPLIES TO THIS ARTICLE. FOR EXAMPLE, EXPLAIN WHAT THE ETHICAL ISSUE OF CONCERN IS AND WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE SITUATION AT HAND?

Ethics of Popcorn Production

Summary of Article , FDA Probes Risks Of Popcorn Additive ' The Wall Street Journal (2007 , Sep . 6

Zhang (2007 ) in her article FDA Probes Risks Of Popcorn Additive published in The Wall Street Journal , describes the ethical concern faced by microwave popcorn manufacturers that their product may contain a chemical additive which could cause lung disease in consumers . The Food and Drug Administration is presently evaluating whether the chemical additive known as diacetyl , which is especially used for butter flavoring in popcorn , could cause consumers to develop lung

disease just as it is known to have caused lung disease in some workers at popcorn plants . According to the author , a physician in Denver wrote a letter to the FDA with the claim that a patient had developed symptoms that were similar to the symptoms of certain workers at popcorn plants . The patient had been consuming many bags of butter flavored microwave popcorn every day for several years (Zhang

Although the letter of the Denver physician did not provide evidence that the vapors of diacetyl that are generated by popcorn do indeed cause lung disease , ConAgra Foods Inc . has already planned to eliminate within the course of a year the chemical diacetyl from the popcorn it produces . The company is the largest producer of microwave popcorn in the United States , and includes the Orville Redenbacher 's in addition to the Act II brands . According to the company 's spokesperson While we are fully confident that microwave popcorn is safe for consumers to prepare and consume , we plan to eliminate the use of added diacetyl in products in

Ethics of Popcorn Production 2

to eliminate even the perception of risks for consumers and to provide our employees who handle large quantities of diacetyl regularly with the safest possible work environment (Zhang

Earlier this year , the U .S . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had issued a statement that workers at plants that produce food flavorings as well as microwave popcorn are facing the danger of contracting a condition that is difficult to treat . The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health , which had already declared that the vapor of diacetyl has the potential to cause bronchiolitis obliterans in addition to severe lung damage , has now recommended that microwave popcorn manufacturers should substitute the chemical diacetyl with less dangerous chemicals . Moreover , it is recommended for workers at microwave popcorn plants to wear protective gear as well as masks Even so , the FDA believes that diacetyl is "generally recognized as safe (Zhang

Opinion on the Ethics of Popcorn Production

I applaud ConAgra Foods Inc . for planning to eliminate the use of chemical diacetyl in the production of its microwave popcorn , even before the FDA is convinced that the chemical is indeed harmful to the workers at popcorn plants in addition to consumers . ConAgra Foods Inc has taken an ethical stance for which it is sure to be rewarded with an increased number of consumers in the near future . It was...