Microwave popcorn causes cancer?

I used to love eating movie theater popcorn, or just popping my own popcorn at home in the microwave. It seemed like the perfect complement for any great movie. But I no longer do that.

Over time I have come to understand that there are many fundamental problems with the way food is made and delivered to us today.

The convenience of being able to quickly and easily throw a bag of popcorn in to the microwave and almost instantly have a perfectly popped bag with butter & salt that requires no preparation/cooking comes at a great cost.

What is that cost? I’m glad you asked.

Genetically Modified Ingredients

Actual popcorn itself is not a GMO. However, ingredients included in the microwavable bag of many popcorn brands (corn oil, soy oil, or soy lecithin, etc.) are all common GMO ingredients or GMO-derived ingredients.

GMOs have never been tested long term on human beings and are linked to a slew of health issues that are rising in this country and abroad. Most popcorn brands do not use organic corn either, so you can be sure they contain harmful pesticides.

Toxic Artificial Butter Flavoring (Diacetyl)

Many popcorn brands have used artificial butter flavoring in their microwave popcorn. This chemical is called diacetyl and it has caused respiratory and lung problems and may even cause brain damage related to alzheimer’s disease.

Although most popcorn manufacturers have reportedly removed diacetyl from their products today, it’s been replaced with other kinds of butter flavoring that some scientists say are just as bad as the original stuff.

Prefer margarine?

Margarine (basically fake butter spread) and similar oil-based products typically also add diacetyl and acetoin (along with beta-carotene for the yellow color) to make the final product butter-flavored, because it would otherwise be relatively tasteless. This fact alone should make you rethink your dietary choices.

Bronchiolitis Obliterans

The artificial butter flavoring (diacetyl) can cause lung problems for some, and it HAS afflicted enough people working in popcorn factories to garner it’s own disease – it’s called “popcorn lung” or bronchiolitis obliterans.

This disease is irreversible and can cause permanent lung inflammation, scarring and even restricted airflow resulting in breathing trouble. In extreme cases it can be life-threatening. Thankfully chances of contracting this disease today is very rare.

Movie theater popcorn, smothered in diacetyl

Perfluorooctanoic Acid in The Bag

One of the worst things about microwave popcorn are the chemicals that come in the bag itself.

Perfluorooctanoic compounds are used in many Teflon coated (non-stick) frying pans, it is also used in grease-resistant packaging material such as popcorn bags and pizza boxes. We were never meant to eat this stuff, but when exposed to extreme heat sometimes Perfluorooctanoic Acids (PFOA) get released and get into our food.

In nature almost all organic compounds break down/decay and eventually decompose. Well, not this stuff… As kernels are popped in the microwave, the compounds coating the bag break down into PFOA, and when PFOA enters the bloodstream it takes a long time before it leaves the body.

Studies show that PFOA does not break down by any known environmental degradation mechanism: hydrolysis, photolysis, or biodegradation. It is also not broken down in the human or animal gut, but remains unchanged in the body, and stays for years once it finds its way in.
The Environmental Working Group

The scary thing is that PFOA is a known carcinogen and has been shown to cause developmental and other adverse effects in lab rats. PFOA is widely thought to cause cancer. Why is it acceptable to still sell these? Apparently the government doesn’t think there are enough quantifiable issues with the amount of PFOA transferred to foods. The amount of PFOA used on boxes/bags is much lower than the amount needed before you see signs of trouble, but I still wouldn’t recommend it.

Preservatives

Many brands of microwave popcorn use preservatives that are toxic and can cause health problems. Propyl gallate is a preservative usually added to foods containing oils and fats to prevent oxidation.

The FDA considers it safe for Americans to consume, but it’s interesting that many other counties have banned it or limited it’s use. It may have caused tumors in lab rats.

Because of the possible adverse effects of propyl gallate, it is being phased out of food products in many other countries, but unfortunately the United States has yet to draw attention to this one.

A healthy snack?

Even with all of the above items stated, many sources will still make the claim that popcorn in general is a healthy snack.

Sure, popcorn itself is a much better choice than eating candy bars or greasy potato chips, but let’s not mince words, foods that are rightly called “healthy” give us nutrients that our bodies need to be nourished and fight off disease. The amount of nutrients that can be found in popcorn is negligible, mostly just carbs.

That being said, eating organic popcorn in moderation (without excessive salt and fake butter) won’t hurt you, but for all the reasons mentioned above, microwave popcorn is not the best choice for a healthy snack.

But I love popcorn!

Yes I know. This is also a childhood favorite of mine too, and it’s extremely hard to pass up sometimes. If you do want to still keep some popcorn around, don’t buy the heavily processed variety.

The absolute best option is to buy raw organic popcorn kernels and just pop them yourself in a popcorn popper. You can add real butter or coconut oil. You can also sprinkle a small amount himalayan pink salt (which is better than processed/refined white table salt).

For cooking in general, it’s best to use cast iron, or glass cookware as much as possible. These are your best options, but stainless steel (as shown) is also okay.

Don’t use cheap materials in the microwave; like brown paper bags, plastic tupperware, or cook with metal pans that easily degrade or emit toxins when exposed to extreme heat.

The main lesson to take away from all this is that you should stick to real, organic foods and ingredients as much as possible. Food manufacturing companies are always looking for cheap alternatives (in packaging or the product itself) to cut costs, and to raise profits and the last thing that they have time to be concerned with is your health. So you need to do your own due diligence, eat clean, and watch what you eat!

Additional Resources

Disclaimer: the information provided on this web site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. The author of this blog is not a licensed dietitian or medical professional. Please consult with a licensed medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. We are not responsible for any decisions that you choose to make.

Mike K.

Mike is a front end web developer and marketing specialist. He enjoys writing about the internet, technology, finance, investing and health related topics.