A chemical compound with two acetyl groups that gives butter its characteristic flavor, but poses health risks when inhaled.
From 'dia-' (two) + 'acetyl' (CH₃CO-), literally two acetyl functional groups bonded together.
Diacetyl is the 'smoking gun' in the 2000s popcorn worker lung disease crisis—it smelled delicious but destroyed workers' airways, proving that pleasant chemicals aren't always safe to breathe.
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