By STEPHEN LABATON
 WASHINGTON, April 24 — Seven years ago, a Missouri doctor discovered a
 troubling pattern at a microwave popcorn plant in the town of Jasper. After
 an additive was modified to produce a more buttery taste, nine workers came
 down with a rare, life-threatening disease that was ravaging their lungs.
 Puzzled Missouri health authorities turned to two federal agencies in
 Washington. Scientists at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
 Health, which investigates the causes of workplace health problems, moved quickly to examine patients, inspect factories and run tests. Within months, they concluded that the workers became ill after exposure to diacetyl, a food-flavoring agent. But the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, charged with overseeing workplace safety, reacted with far less urgency. It did not step up plant inspections or mandate safety standards for businesses, even a more workers became ill. On Tuesday, the top official at the agency told lawmakers at a Congressional hearing that it would prepare a safety bulletin and plan to inspect a few
 dozen of the thousands of food plants that use the additive.

 

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