Court Remands Diacetyl Exposure Suit, Notes Majority of Popcorn Factory Workers are Missouri Citizens

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. –– A Missouri federal court has remanded a diacetyl exposure suit, finding that it is “more likely than not” that more than two-thirds of potential class members are Missouri residents, thus satisfying an exception to the Class Action Fairness Act.

In the Jan. 26 opinion, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri opined that the plaintiffs could use last-known addresses in their efforts to prove that the case belonged in state court.

The underlying plaintiffs alleged that they, as current or former employees of Gilster-Mary Lee Corp., were exposed to diacetyl in artificial butter flavoring. …