More reasons to avoid microwave popcorn

I read this on the Canary Report blog, and thought it pertinent info for anyone that keeps parrots or other birds. I have often heard not to use microwave popcorn because the bags contain PTFE, and have killed birds before. Of course, another good reason to avoid them is for your own health, the chemical additives are not healthy for anyone's health when consumed. However, this is the first time I have heard that the chemical diacetyl is also very dangerous when inhaled! This is another reason popcorn bags are dangerous, if it is bothering people, I know it is most certainly bothering all birds, though, as I said in the last post, birds are able to handle differing amounts of it before it kills them.

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News Inferno reports that OSHA—the Occupational Safety and Health Administration—is finally seeking public comment on the health standard for Diacetyl, the chemical linked to the sometimes fatal disease commonly known as Popcorn Lung. OMB Watch, a nonprofit advocacy group explained that factory workers, and likely consumers—who are exposed to Diacetyl are at an increased risk for developing Popcorn Lung, known medically as Bronchiolitis obliterans. Bronchiolitis obliterans is a serious and life-threatening disease that destroys the small airways of the lungs. Diacetyl, a chemical that gives foods like popcorn, candy, and baked goods that creamy, buttery taste, is linked to the disease, which has attacked popcorn factory employees and was also discovered in a man who ate at least two bags of buttery microwave popcorn daily for several years and reportedly enjoyed inhaling the fumes released when the popcorn was heated. It was found that the man’s lung problems were linked to breathing Diacetyl vapors.
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Warning about silicone bake & cook ware

I received this email a little while ago, and have been really lax about posting it. It is so sad, every time I receive another email about birds dying from some chemical in the house. Basically, unless you absolutely, positively, cannot live without it, don't use it. With birds, you constantly hear about the dangers of anything non-stick/teflon/PTFE, but I have always wondered how something that smells as strongly as silicone bake ware does could really be safe. I received some as a gift once, after I had not had birds long, and quickly gave it away again, as I automatically assumed it was dangerous for the birds. After all, the smell of it sitting on the counter was incredibly strong, and bothered me, so I could not imagine what it would be be like if you cooked with it, even at low temps. I since have read how it was safe for birds, and assumed I was wrong. However, after receiving this email, I am going back to my original thought!

What is so hard to understand is that every creature, human, bird, any animal, is different from all the others, even ones of the same species that live in the same house. This is why something that kills ones bird at the first exposure, another bird may be able to live through several exposures. This does not mean that that bird is not bothered, it simply means they are able to live with it and recover. And it is often so hard to get people to think ahead, and get them to understand that just because it did not bother your bird once does not mean it will not ever bother them. Notice that though two of this lady's parrots died, one survived.

Many parrots should live 50-100 years, so if they die at 10,15, or 20 of something so absolutely preventable, it is really, really, sad; even more so when they die of things that are sold as "safe".


The following is the email I received:


I know about teflon products and do not purchase them. I do not clean
my oven with anything but a plastic scraper and hot hot water.
Saturday Jan 10, 2009 two days ago, I put an oven liner that claimed
it was made from silicone and was completely safe for animals.
I followed the directions, started the oven, popped in a pizza, within
five minutes of taking the pizza out, my Parrotlet fell to the bottom
of the cage and died in my hand. I had no clue what happened to him, I
tried to clear his little air way, I thought maybe he choked on
something. No luck bringing him back. I have only had him for 5.5
months, but you sure can get attached quickly.

I also have two female caiques, Tango and Daisy. These birds are my
children just as for many of you.
I wanted to show the the girls that little Tucker had passed, so they
wouldn't call for him.
I took out Tango (blk.head) showed her that Tucker was gone, she
seemed to understand.
When I went to take Daisy (wht.belly) (my princess) I have had her for
3 years, when I looked at her she was sitting low on her heated perch,
almost squating.
I had her step up, but she had a hard time doing so. Once I had her I
could tell something was very wrong, she was wobbly and out of it.
It hit me like a ton of bricks!!!!
I had read about this........That darn oven must have contained some
type of teflon or chemical.
My roomate and I now in a total panic, rushed the girls outside.
Daisy was fading fast........I was crying and begging her to stay
awake.
My neighbors came out to help, they called the local avian vet and had
to leave a message.
The internet said oxygen......Where am I going to get oxygen at 6pm on
a Saturday night??? I was a mess!!!
I called the local Fire Dept. I asked them to please, please bring
oxygen to save my baby. I must have sounded like a lunatic or
something.
They came with in fifteen minutes, we put the mask over Daisy's mouth
and her eyes became more allert. I was hopeful. He suggested putting
her in a small box and letting the oxygen tube go directly into the
box.
We got a small box, she seemed to be standing now........Very hopeful
now!
The EMT called the University of Tennessee avian vet. The avian vet
said it sounds like telfon exposure.
He told the EMT the outcome was not good, but the EMT did not tell us
that right away, he could see what a mess we already were.
The vet said to take the oxygen off for ten minutes and if she stayed
allert that we could bring her to the hospital, but if she faded that
meant she had already suffered a lethal dose and there would be
nothing he could do for her.
Daisy Mae died at 10:15pm, I told her it was bed time and she went to
sleep.

Tango the surviver was trying to feed Daisy the last hour of her life.
It broke my heart.
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Much safer alternatives are aluminum, stainless steel, and stoneware baking sheets, as well as cast iron for cooking.