B757 FLT CREW DECIDES TO DIVERT DUE TO PINEAPPLE FLAVORING HAZMAT LEAKING AND CAUSING PAX EYE AND NOSE IRRITATION. UPON LNDG; THE FLT CREW REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A GREATER QUANTITY THAN LISTED ON THE HAZMAT PAPERWORK.

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THE ATTACHED HAZMAT NOTAC REFLECTED THAT ABOUT 39 LBS OF A CONSUMER COMMODITY WAS BEING SHIPPED AS A CLASS 3 SUBSTANCE; IN 3 PIECES (A COMMON PRACTICE). THE SUBSTANCE WAS PINEAPPLE FLAVORING. IT LEAKED INFLT; CAUSING PAX EYE AND NOSE IRRITATION AND A DIVERT. AFTER LNDG; I EXPECTED TO SEE 3 13-LB BOXES OF PINEAPPLE FLAVORING. TO MY SURPRISE; I FOUND 3 5-GALLON CANS OF THE JUICE WITH 1 CAN LEAKING. THE 39 IN THE 'NET WT' COLUMN WAS NOT LBS; BUT A VOLUME MEASUREMENT -- LITERS. THIS PUT THE CARGO COMPARTMENT OVER THE HAZMAT LIMIT. LOOKING ONLY AT THE FORM AS PLTS DO; HOW WOULD ONE DETECT THE ERROR? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 572129: UPON LEVELING AT FL370; WE NOTICED A VERY SWEET SMELL IN THE COCKPIT. I COMMENTED TO THE CAPT THAT WE WERE CARRYING 3 CANS OF LIQUID EXTRACT. THEY WERE CONSIDERED DANGEROUS GOODS BECAUSE THEIR HIGH ALCOHOL CONTENT MADE THEM FLAMMABLE. WE SURMISED THAT 1 OF THE CANS MUST BE LEAKING. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY CALLED OUR DISPATCHER ON THE RADIO TO ADVISE HIM OF THE SIT AND BTWN THE 2 OF THEM A DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT INTO JACKSONVILLE; FL. DURING THIS TIME; THE FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD US THAT THE ODOR WAS STRONGER AND THAT SOME PAX WERE BEGINNING TO COMPLAIN OF MILD HEADACHES. ALTHOUGH THE ODOR WAS ALSO STRONGER IN THE COCKPIT; WE DID NOT FEEL THAT IT WARRANTED DONNING OXYGEN MASKS. I WAS THE PF ON THIS LEG; SO I CONTINUED TO FLY AND TALK TO ATC AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WHILE THE CAPT TALKED TO THE COMPANY DISPATCHER. THE CARGO BIN WAS CLEANED AND AIRED OUT; HOWEVER; THE ODOR PERSISTED IN THE CABIN OF THE ACFT. AFTER ABOUT 3 HRS; A DECISION WAS MADE TO BRING IN A DIFFERENT ACFT TO CARRY THE PAX TO SAN JUAN AND FERRY THIS ACFT BACK TO ZZZ FOR FURTHER FUMIGATING. THE ISSUE WHICH IS NOW FACING THE FLT CREW IS THAT WE ALLOWED TOO MUCH OF THE LIQUID TO BE CARRIED IN A SINGLE BIN FOR THIS TYPE OF FLAMMABLE FLUID. THIS FALLS INTO THE CATEGORY OF ONE MORE AREA THAT THE FLT CREW IS HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR IN THE LAST MINS BEFORE PUSHBACK.