*****FROM ABC NEWS MEDICAL UNIT*****
Hi Jdl1970 and thank you for your question. Here is an answer from Wesley Burks, M.D., Professor and Chief, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, Duke University Medical Center:
Diacetyl is a vicinal deketone and occurs naturally in alcoholic beverages and may be added to some foods to give a buttery flavor. It apparently causes a slipperiness to the feel of beer or wine. There are recent reports of diacetyl causing pulmonary disease when heated or inhaled over a long time. Studies are now underway to better understand how this might occur. The governmental agencies of both the US and EU are now considering what to do with the available information. Currently though, the product is labeled as safe to consume.