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Groovy Grape, like most liquids vaporized in e-cigarettes, was a solution of vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, and varying amounts of nicotine. Although little is known about the long-run effects of inhaling theses substances, in the short run, they are seen as fairly benign. But Groovy Grape also contained a flavoring agent, one that used the chemical diacetyl.Most people haven't heard of diacetyl, but nearly everyone's consumed it.The yellow-green liquid is an organic compound that occurs as a natural product of fermentation. Also known as butanedione, diacetyl is one of the two chemicals that give butter its distinctive rich, creamy taste. Health Canada and the United States Food and Drug Administration approve diacetyl for consumption in trace amounts, and it is found on the ingredients list of a wide range variety of foods under the obscurity, "Natural and Artificial Flavors."Diacetyl is also used in flavorings added to e-liquids, most commonly in sweet ones—a practice that the ECTA is trying hard to end.Numerous scientific studies—including several by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)—link the inhalation of diacetyl to a disease colloquially known as Popcorn-Workers Lung, for the eight people who contracted the rare malady after working in a Missouri popcorn plant where diacetyl was used as a flavoring.
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Flavour Crafters operates two production labs: one dedicated to mixing batches of e-liquid and one for bottling them. On a daily basis, these labs pump out between 30 and 50 gallons of e-liquid, which is mixed in one-gallon jugs and separated into ten- and 30-milliliter bottles for retail.Depending on size, nicotine concentration and volume being sold, a bottle of Flavour Crafters e-liquid will sell for between $6 and $20. On average, the company produces between 4,000 and 8,000 of these bottles each day.Flavour Crafters revenue last year was close to $3 million, and Joel Verburg, the company's executive director, said that they have experienced nearly 400 percent annual growth every year since they began producing their own e-liquids in 2011.
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The strict production and testing standards of Flavour Crafters and the other 37 members of the ECTA, make these producers anomalous in Canada's large e-cigarette industry.Making e-liquid is easy: it requires no specialized equipment or knowledge and the basic ingredients are readily attainable. In fact, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine, and a huge variety of flavorings can all be purchased on Amazon.Home brewing e-liquid is extremely popular and even considered a sort of art by some enthusiasts. The DIY sub-forum on e-cigarette-forum.com has 15,213 threads and 244,842 individual posts. At the top of the forum is a disclaimer: "All DIY procedures are done at your own risk."
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