I read in yesterday’s New York Times that microwave popcorn is the latest food item we need to worry about for our health. Apparently, a man in his early 50s suffering from lung problems was very hard to diagnose until one doctor asked the question: do you eat microwave popcorn? Well, yes, the man responded — at least two bags a day for the past ten years. The light went on and there was an “ah ha” moment. There has been evidence in the past that workers at popcorn plants suffered from lung problems due to inhaling the artificial butter smell. This man loved the smell of the popcorn and would always take a deep whiff of it as he took it out of his microwave. Off of popcorn for good, the patient has seen improvement in his lung functions, but boy does he miss his crunchy, buttery snack.
As a mother, there are already so many things to worry about…did you slather on enough sunscreen this morning? Are your kids watching too much TV? Now, one of life’s guilty little pleasures, something that until yesterday seemed so innocuous with its ease of preparation (remember the days of mom standing over the stove stirring kernels in a pot sure to become blackened by year’s end) has now become at the very least a “watch out”. I can’t tell you how many heading-for-disaster playdates have been saved by a bag of Paul Newman’s popcorn. Who doesn’t love the fluffy white kernels which fall somewhere between junk food and an ok snack? The popcorn will still be on my shelf but will simply have to take a back seat to Pirate’s Booty and pretzels.
