Is Microwave Popcorn Dangerous?

There used to be safety concerns about some compounds used to flavor popcorn (diacetyl) and to grease-proof microwaveable bags (PFCs). They're mostly not used anymore, but making your own popcorn might still be safer. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/popcorn-lung.htm

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Brainstuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey, brain Stuff
Florin vogel bomb here. There's been a lot of hype
over the years about the potential dangers of microwave popcorn,
But is this caution founded or just overblown fear mongering.

(00:21):
The short answer is that many of the chemicals that
caused concern in earlier decades have been removed from microwave popcorn,
but some critics are still not satisfied. Okay, a popcorn
is by itself a high fiber, whole grain, low calorie snack.
It can provide a lot of satisfying crunch bang for
its caloric buck right up until you douse it in butter. Anyway,

(00:46):
the original concern about it was not over an ingredient
in the popcorn itself, but rather in its packaging. That's
because microwave popcorn bags were coated with types of compounds
known as perfluorinated chemicals, or PFC to prevent grease from
leaking out. These compounds were being used as a grease
resisting agent in everything from sandwich bags to pizza boxes

(01:09):
to teflon pans. A one particular type of PFC, known
as C eight compounds or perfluorooctanoic acids has been linked
to certain cancers, though the American Cancer Society says that
the evidence is inconclusive and more research is being done
about this. Nevertheless, in response to concerns about PFCs, the

(01:32):
US Food and Drug Administration worked with popcorn manufacturers back
in twenty eleven to remove pfoas from their packaging. Three
other PFCs were banned in the next five years, so
today's microwave popcorn doesn't involve these chemicals, but critics say
that the replacement agents could be just as problematic as

(01:52):
the old ones, just with less known about them. And
that's not the only potential concern. Okay, the chemical that
for decades has lent butter flavored deliciousness to microwave and
movie popcorn is safe to eat, but it's been connected
in rare cases with major lung damage from breathing it

(02:13):
in a known as dicetyl. It's long been a documented
problem with workers in popcorn manufacturing facilities, so much so
that lung damage from it is known as popcorn lung.
But dicetyl can also be treacherous for people who just
eat the snack. A lot. A study published in twenty

(02:34):
thirteen in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
compared three cases where consumers had similar exposure levels to
manufacturing workers. A different study found that more than eighty
percent of chemical emissions happened when the bag is first
opened post popping, and indeed, some of the bad cases
in consumers occurred when the consumer in question ate a

(02:56):
lot of microwave popcorn and specifically enjoyed inhaling those fresh fumes.
Diacetyl has also been removed from most products, though again
some critics claim that the replacement chemicals may also be harmful.
If this concerns you, I'll reiterate that most of the
exposure to diacetyl came from inhaling the fumes of rather

(03:19):
than eating the actual popcorn. Therefore, experts recommend waiting for
the bag to cool a little bit before you open
it to minimize potentially harmful chemical exposure. Also read the
microwave popcorn labels before buying. Although more research needs to
be done, products that contain just popcorn, oil and salt

(03:40):
are going to be baseline safer than products with various
flavorings and colorings added. Better yet, you can make your
own popcorn fresh at home on the stovetop, using an
air popping machine, or even using an untreated paper bag
in the microwave. When you sprinkle on your own melted butter, salts, ices,

(04:00):
or cheese, you'll at least know what you're getting into.
Today's episode is based on the article is microwave popcorn
really Dangerous? On how stuffworks dot com? Written by a
Leah Hoyt. Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership
with how stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang.
Before more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

(04:24):
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.