The Dangers of Artificial Butter Flavoring
Artificial butter flavoring is a great way to add flavor to your favorite foods, including ice cream, cookies and even cake. But did you know that these artificial ingredients are sometimes linked to a number of health issues?
Butyric acid
Butyric acid is a type of four-carbon fatty acid, which can be found naturally in foods. It also occurs in animal fats and plant oils. In addition, butyric acid is used as a food preservative.
Butyric acid is known for its anticancer effects and is a useful additive in the animal feed industry. However, its acrid taste can be irritating. And while butyric acid is safe to consume, pregnant women should avoid taking it.
Butyric acid is an essential part of butter flavoring, which can be added to bread, candies, cookies, and other food products. Specifically, butter flavor compositions may contain butyric acid esters, water-soluble and oil-soluble components, and buffers.
The concentration of butyric acid in butter flavors is important. It should not be readily volatilized, and should be evenly distributed throughout the food product. This is especially true when heating the product. Heat can cause rapid loss of compounds.
Butter flavor compositions are essentially non-volatile, which makes them easy to apply to a variety of food products. For example, butyric acid salts can be added to food products in a range of parts per million. These parts per million correspond to the total weight of the food product.
Butyric acid is used in artificial butter flavoring, which is comprised of diacetyl, butyric, and hexanoic acids. These are added in the form of sodium salts. While the salts are extremely strong, they must be used in very minute quantities. Using too much salt can actually ruin the taste of a food.
Butter flavoring compositions are typically available in concentrate and as filling mixes. They may also be used in baked goods, candies, yeast fermented dough, and other food products.
Butanedione
Diacetyl is a molecule that provides butter with its characteristic flavor. It is also a component of many alcoholic beverages. However, it is a substance that can cause respiratory symptoms when exposed to long-term inhalation. Besides butter, other foods that contain diacetyl are cheese, fermented perspiration, and dairy products.
Several workers at an artificial butter-flavoring plant have been diagnosed with a rare lung condition called bronchiolitis obliterans. This rare lung disorder, which is sometimes termed popcorn lung, can lead to death if left untreated.
Butanedione is a molecule that is used in flavoring margarine. However, it has been associated with severe respiratory injuries when ingested in high concentrations.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the American Petroleum Institute, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIOSH) have investigated the potential hazards of diacetyl. They discovered that diacetyl can lead to a condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans, which is a type of lung disease.
When analyzed by mass spectrometry, four products were identified: 2,3-pentanedione, acetoin, dicetyl, and methyl ethyl ketone. Two of these, acetoin and diacetyl, were found to be the most hazardous.
These findings are the result of two short-term two-week inhalation studies on the components of butter-flavoring products. During the studies, eight workers in the plant were diagnosed with bronchiolitis obliterans. After the diagnosis, one of the patients underwent a surgical lung biopsy.
Other workers in the plant suffered a more serious form of lung damage, including fibrosis and airway obstruction. In the case of the vapors, Na+ transport was reduced.
Because diacetyl is an ingredient in a number of flavoring products, it is important for food processors to understand the hazards of this ingredient.
3 hydroxy-2-butanone
The National Toxicology Program (NTP) has published a Chemical Information Review Document (CIR) pertaining to the toxicity of an Artificial butter flavoring artificial butter flavoring component, known as aceton-3-hydroxy-2-butanone. It is a chemical that is commonly used in food flavoring.
The NTP deemed the oxymoron of the name, a short-term two week inhalation study on the components of the flavor. Using a variety of ion transport, oxidation, and temperature effects, the FFV was characterized.
The mainstem bronchus was the most frequently affected by the vapors, which induced an airway injury of the pulmonary kind. One patient underwent a surgical lung biopsy while three others did not require any form of protection. A high prevalence of fixed airways obstruction was noted in workers at a microwave popcorn manufacturing facility.
Among the many ingredients Baking Flavoring in the flavor, the FFV’s highest concentrations are found in whey. It can be used to produce low-calorie, cholesterol-free foods.
The aforementioned mention is a small sample, as most of the flavors available today are diluted with water or oil. Some are in liquid form, while others are in powdered, emulsified, or granulated forms. As with any flavoring, the chemistry behind its creation can be a mystery. Most importantly, the name of the flavor might be a hint at its identity, although some documentation may point to a legacy brand.
Regardless of the outcome, the ol’ fashioned tidbit that the NTP has made public is that there is no safe concentration of the artificial butter flavoring ingredient in the human body. In fact, exposures to the flavor are likely to produce an adverse health effect, if it’s not thrown into the mix during cooking or preparation. Nevertheless, the aforementioned mentioned elixir is certainly an intriguing topic of study.
Bronchitis obliterans
Bronchitis obliterans, also known as the Popcorn Lung, is a type of obstructive lung disease caused by exposure to diacetyl, a chemical used in flavorings for butter and other foods. It is characterized by a cough that is usually progressive and does not improve when the worker leaves the workplace.
Workers in the artificial butter flavoring industry are at increased risk of developing bronchiolitis obliterans. The National Jewish Medical Center performed studies of workers in the flavorings industry and found that many of them had respiratory symptoms associated with obliterative bronchiolitis.
The disease is known to cause a fibrotic obstruction of the small airways, leading to a symptomatic narrowing of the luminal space. This obstruction leads to the development of scarring. A variety of other respiratory conditions are also associated with the disease, including inflammatory bowel diseases, connective tissue diseases, adenovirus, and respiratory syncytial virus.
The diagnosis of bronchiolitis obliterans is made through a combination of physical examination, chest x-rays, and radiologic studies. However, some medical experts argue that chest x-rays are not conclusive. In addition, radiologic studies are not conclusive in some cases because they are not conducted for all patients with bronchiolitis obliterans.
Bronchitis obliterans is a rare lung disease, but it does not have an easy diagnosis. Symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, and night sweats. Although it is often a progressive disease, some workers may experience less severe symptoms.
In some cases, bronchiolitis obliterans can develop without any known occupational exposures. For this reason, NIOSH is examining the emergence of obliterative bronchiolitis in workers in the flavorings industry.
Bronchitis obliterans has not been proven to be a cause of NSIP, or non-specific inflammatory pneumonitis. However, NIOSH has issued an Alert entitled Preventing Lung Disease in Workers Who Make Flavorings.
Microwave butter flavoring
Butter flavoring is a chemical used in making foods taste like butter. It is a common ingredient in many packaged food products. These include candy, margarine, popcorn and baked goods.
However, the United States Department of Health and Human Services recently discovered that consuming artificial butter flavoring may increase the risk of a rare lung disease known as bronchiolitis obliterans. Also known as “popcorn worker’s lung,” this condition is the result of an inflammatory obstruction of the small airways.
Researchers have cited several studies that show diacetyl can cause bronchiolitis obliterans. Studies also found that exposure to diacetyl fumes caused damage to mice’s lungs.
One of the studies showed that mixing a variety of butter flavorings with heated soybean oil increases the amount of diacetyl in the vapor. The study also found that people who mixed the butter flavorings with the soybean oil were more likely to have symptoms of chest discomfort and shortness of breath after exertion.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union also nominated the carcinogenicity of acetoin. Acetoin is an ingredient in many perfumes and essences.
In addition, the FDA’s diacetyl safety status has been under review since 2007. In February, the agency received a citizens’ petition that wanted to review its safety status.
Although the agency’s spokesperson said the agency is not aware of any evidence to indicate diacetyl is unsafe, it does classify it as safe.
Butter flavoring is an excellent choice for those who want the rich, buttery taste of butter without the calories. It is generally used in the manufacturing of processed foods and is shelf-stable.
Some grocery store foods contain artificial butter flavoring, including microwave popcorn. While the FDA is aware of this issue, it is recommending consumers consume the product in moderation.