The stuff they use as artificial butter flavor, diacetyl, can cause lung disease if inhaled in quantity (i.e., by people who work with the substance). Another chemical, butyric acid, is used as a "buttery" flavoring, but it can also smell like vomit, or rancid parmesan cheese. I love popcorn, but I can't stand "artificial butter flavoring" (and I also find the smell of overheated vegetable shortening objectionable.) There are some types of popcorn that use ghee - Indian-style clarified butter - for flavoring, and they're pretty good. See if you can find a microwave brand (probably marketed as "all-natural, organic") that contains ghee.
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