Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory capacity were studied in 259 female confectionary workers and in 65 non-exposed controls. Most of the chronic respiratory symptoms appeared more frequently among the exposed workers, particularly if they worked in exposure to flour, talc, starch, acids and alcohol. There was a high prevalence of acute symptoms that developed during work shift. This was true especially of cough, dyspnea, burning and dryness of the throat and eye irritation. The exposed workers exhibited statistically significant acute reductions of ventilatory capacity. Those were particularly pronounced for FEF50 (range: 4.6-13.0%) and FEF25 (range: 4.7-22.3%). The measured preshift values of ventilatory capacity were significantly lower than the predicted normal values. The administration of disodium chromoglycate (DSCG 40 mg) significantly diminished mean across-shift reductions in all ventilatory capacity tests. Data suggest that sensitive confectionery workers may develop acute and chronic respiratory symptoms accompanied by acute and/or chronic changes in ventilatory capacity.