Diacetyl Victim Wins $7.5 million
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Mar 17 2009 at 12:39 PM
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A former Sioux City microwave popcorn worker was awarded $7.5 millionby a federal judge in a case against Givaudan Flavors.

Ronald Kuiper was a worker in the American Popcorn Company in SiouxCity for around 16 years. As a part of duty, he mixed butter flavorsat the plant from 1992 to 1995. According to the lawsuit filed onbehalf of Kuiper, Kuiper became very short of breath during this time.Later, Kuiper was diagnosed with a rare lung condition linked toexposure to butter flavor containing a chemical known as Diacetyl.

The court decided that Givaudan Flavors, the company who sold theartificial butter flavor, was 100 percent responsible for Kuiper’scondition. The American Popcorn Company, Kuiper’s employer, was not adefendant in this case.

Unfortunately, Kuiper died of Popcorn workers lung last Wednesday,just one day prior to the ruling. He was 69 years old.

Kenneth McClain, the attorney represented the plaintiff, said thatKuiper and other victims have prevented other workers to have the sameterrible fate.

McClain said that the suit filed against Givaudan Flavors has beendirectly responsible for all microwave popcorn makers not to use thedeadly butter flavor chemical Diacetyl in their microwave popcornmixtures.

Givaudan Flavors is planning to appeal the ruling.