If you or someone you know is still eating microwave popcorn, listen up! I can’t tell you how many countless times I used to eat microwave popcorn when I worked in an office. My co-workers would buy one of those packs from the vending machine in the break room and pop that sucker right into the microwave and the whole floor would smell DELICIOUS! I just couldn’t help myself. It was the one thing in the vending machine that always had to be refilled week after week – way before the stale peanuts.
I’m so glad I stopped that habit, when I finally gave up my use of microwaves, because let me tell you, this stuff is horrible for your health and here’s why…
The Bag
The bag almost all microwave popcorn varieties come in is lined with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). This chemical is the same toxic stuff found in teflon pots and pans. It can stay in the environment and in the human body for long periods of time. This chemical when heated has been linked to infertility, cancer and other diseases in lab animals. No long term studies have been conducted on humans, but the EPA lists this substance as a carcinogen.
The Contents
Here’s a snapshot of several popular popcorn brands and the ingredients they contain.
Even though there are no sources of genetically modified popcorn kernels being produced (that’s saved for other varieties of corn), there are several other GMO ingredients in the form of oil or emulsifiers to be found in these popcorn flavors. 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. All of these brands do not use organic corn either, so you can be sure they contain harmful pesticides.
Brands like PopSecret and Jolly Time still use trans fat, which is considered one of the most deadly fats available because it is associated with 20,000 heart attacks a year and over 7,000 deaths according to the CDC.
Proply Gallate that is found in PopSecret is one of those ingredients that’s being phased out in the rest of the world, but still being used here for a preservative in food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. It’s linked to all sorts of health issues like skin rashes, stomach issues and breathing problems.
TBHQ that is found in Smart Balance, stands for “Tertiary Butylhydroquinone.” It’s a dead giveaway that you shouldn’t be eating this, if food companies have to use an acronym for a long chemical name on the ingredient label.
TBHQ is a chemical made from butane (a very toxic gas) and can only be used at a rate of 0.02 percent of the total oil in a product. Why is there a limit to this? Maybe because eating only 1 gram of this toxic preservative has been shown to cause all sorts of issues, from ADHD in children, to asthma, allergies and dermatitis to dizziness and even has caused stomach cancer in laboratory animals.
Limiting TBHQ to a certain percentage, is the same logic the FDA made when allowing a product to still contain 0.5 grams of transfat and be labeled “transfat free.” If you are consuming processed foods, eating at fast food restaurants or chains that use processed foods you are consuming an overload of preservatives and other chemicals. The accumulation of eating all these different preservatives and man-made chemicals at once has not been studied by the food companies or the FDA for safety.
The Hidden Ingredients
Even though natural flavors and artificial flavors are listed on the ingredient label of microwave popcorn, we have no way of knowing what’s actually in these ingredients. Food manufacturers won’t tell you and they hide things in there like MSG, beaver’s anal glands and diacetyl butter flavoring. What’s so wrong with a little bit of artificial butter flavoring? Well a lot. This stuff is seriously toxic, which forced Conagra Foods to remove it from their Act branded Microwave popcorn recently because it causes lung issues in workers. This ingredient is also linked to brain issues which cause Alzheimer’s Disease too. Dr. Mercola reports:
“Researchers conducting test-tube studies revealed that diacetyl has several concerning properties for brain health. Not only can it pass through the blood-brain barrier, which is intended to help keep toxins out of your brain, but it can also cause brain proteins to misfold into the Alzheimer’s-linked form known as beta amyloid. It also inhibits mechanisms that help to naturally clear the dangerous beta amyloid from your brain.1
It’s not known at this time whether eating diacetyl-containing foods (it’s used not only in microwave popcorn but also in other snack foods, baked goods, pet foods, some fast foods and other food products) increases your risk of Alzheimer’s, but the finding that it may contribute to brain plaques linked to Alzheimer’s at very low concentrations is concerning, to say the least.“
Orville Redenbacher’s label explicitly says they do not use this flavoring anymore, but there are popcorn varieties that still do, so watch out, if you see the words “artificial flavor” on the label of any processed food, back up far away!
Make Your Own (It Takes 5 mins!)
Making your own popcorn from scratch is so EASY and you can avoid all of these health pitfalls. If you need to take some to the office or where ever you are going (like sneaking it into the movie theatre), I recommend making it in advance and throwing it in a reusable bag.
This recipe takes 5 mins. The extra 2 minutes (over microwave popcorn) is time definitely worth committing to.
I call this recipe “Superfood Popcorn” because it contains three amazing ingredients:
- Coconut oil that is great for your metabolism
- Hemp seeds that are full of omega 3 fatty acids
- Red palm oil that contains the highest amounts of vitamins A and E of any plant-based oil
I have to say, the red palm oil took this popcorn from about an 9 to an 11 on a scale from 1 to 10. It looks and tastes like yummy comforting butter (and the color matches that movie theatre popcorn without all the added chemical ingredients). Also, the added texture of the hemp seeds combined with sea salt is so good and crunchy.
I made a bowl of this last week and it was heavenly! It’s seriously amazing – I can’t wait to hear your reports.
Please note red palm oil is different from palm kernel oil (that is grown in SouthEast Asia and killing orangutans). Red palm oil comes from Ecuador and harvested sustainably. Dr. Oz does a great job of explaining the difference between red palm fruit oil and palm kernel oil here if you’d like to learn more.
- ¼ cup dry popcorn kernels
- 1 and ½ teaspoon coconut oil
- 2 tsp red palm oil
- 1 tbsp hempseed ground
- ¼ tsp celtic sea salt
- In a pot, stir together coconut oil and popcorn kernels and heat pot on stove to high
- Cover pot with lid and let popcorn pop until you hear less popping per second
- Once popcorn is done popping, remove from pot into a bowl
- Using a blender or food processor, blend hempseed and salt until fine
- Top popcorn with melted red palm oil and hempseed salt mixture
And by the way, it’s pretty amazing the CEO of Nutiva John Roulac, would say outright in a news interview that the end goal for his company is to see “Monsanto go bankrupt” – I love voting with my dollars to support him and his company.
If you know someone who is still consuming microwave popcorn, please do your part and share this post with them – especially if they are your co-workers 🙂 Together we are changing the way our families and friends eat and I love that!
Hooray to healthy popcorn!
Food babe
P.S. Check out this hilarious interview I did on CNN last weekend about trans fats, popcorn and Funyuns. Being on the Don Lemon Show with Alexa Towersey was so fun! Don was a riot. When you watch it, you’ll see what I mean.
Loved your CNN interview, Vani!!! We only make our own popcorn now, no more store-bought bags. We use a paper bag to pop the kernels and then add toppings.
Awe! Thank you Courtney – it was so much fun.
I only buy popcorn kernal from the Amish stores, I know for certain they only use/grow organic corn.
Thx for the recipe
Are there any online stores that sell Amish popcorn that you’d recommend?
Braga Organic Farms in California sells Organic Popcorn and it is AMAZING! PLus, 99% of the kernels pop!
Lance, obviously the Amish community in whole does not believe in internet sales and I highly doubt any would even own a PC to do so.
My recommendation is to use google search and find an Amish community located near your residence.
The Amish popcorn I purchase is quite good, the kernals are only half the size of regular kernals. You tend not to get the husks stuck in your teeth and the texture is way better!
Good luck on your Amish community search.
Oh yuck! My favorite way to make popcorn is stovetop with coconut oil and a little Himalayan salt. It is unbelievable what they put in food these days. Health does start in our Kitchens 🙂
You know whats even more unbelievable than what they are putting in your food? What is in your Himalayan sea salt should make your toes curl. Uranium, plutonium, mercury, lead and arsenic are all in sea salt.
http://www.saltnews.com/chemical-analysis-natural-himalayan-pink-salt/
Natural is not always better.
Also just a FYI to all, MSG can NOT be hidden as a “natural flavor”. If a company does that they are in violation of FDA labeling laws.
I have always popped my corn on the stove. I love the taste and texture. We always take fresh popped corn to the movies too. That crap they sell and at the price they sell it is outrageous. I am going to try the red palm oil next.
David – Seriously, I can’t believe they charge an arm and a leg for popcorn that is basically toxic. Fun fact – my first job was at a movie theatre! 🙂
Can I suggest for those who want decadence without the butter… A dash of white truffle oil!
YUM!
Great article Food Babe! This is exactly why we started Quinn Popcorn two years ago! We made our own bag this chemical and coating free, it’s even compostable. Our corn is organic and our olive oil and sunflower oils are expeller pressed. Best yet, no fake butter! Instead we offer Parmesan & Rosemary, Vermont Maple & Sea Salt, Olive Oil & Herb, and others. Hope you can try it someday!
I live in Boston and am a huge fan of Quinn Popcorn! I was going to comment but saw that Kristy beat me to it. You should definitely check out their products– they’re all incredibly high quality and absolutely delicious.
BUZZ: where do you find Amish stores? I am in California – I see some online but not sure if they’re authentic.
Amish does not mean organic. Some of them use more chemicals than non- Amish growers.
Amish popcorn can be found at Bed,Bath&Beyond if you live in CA. They come in a cloth-bag and are stored in the food section.
I LOVE stovetop popcorn in coconut oil! Try sprinkling a little nutriitional yeast on the popcorn too, so delicious.
I recently found a GMO free labelled prepopped popcorn called Boom Chicka Pop. It’s really good.
What about air pop machines with real popcorn? I stopped using microwave popcorn, but instead of popping on the stove I have been using an air pop machine. Recipe looks amazing, can’t wait to try!
I’m interested in this as well, as I do the say thing—
The only thing I don’t like about those, is the fact that they are popped in heated plastic parts… I’d rather just make it on the stove in a safe stainless pot.
I buy Organic popcorn from Sprouts. Is that ok? What do you know about them? It’s still in a bag but the bag is brown (does that matter?).
I’m not sure about the popcorn you are referring to, but the bulk popcorn at Sprouts comes from Jiffy Pop… saw them filling the bin one time! YIKES!!!!
The hubby & I switched over to this magic popcorn pot http://www.leevalley.com/en/gifts/page.aspx?p=64273&cat=4,53214,64273
and totally gave up not only microwave popcorn, but the microwave too!
Veronica
I used to use the whirley pot,but they get the gears caked with the oil and they are hard to clean.
Or buy Organic Microwaveable Popcorn. I use the Nature’s Promise brand from Stop & Shop (organic popcorn, organic palm oil, salt). The beauty of buying organic…. 🙂
I just purchased the Nutiva sale special and a few other items I’ve been looking for (Coconut Flour and Chia seeds) – looking forward to trying them out! thanks!
I can’t say enough about this awesome company and the products they provide (and the service they are doing for this world!).
Hey! I usually pop my own popcorn without the use of a microwave. But, sometimes in a pinch I’ve used the Whole Foods no oil/no butter microwave popcorn for a quick snack when I don’t have my air popper close. What are your thoughts on that brand?
Just using the microwave for 3, 4 mins scares me.
Thanks for the recipe and link! I went ahead and ordered the deal from Nutiva…can’t wait to try the popcorn recipe!
Thanks for this I didn’t know how harmful popcorn is!! I’m going to try the recipe these company’s should be ashamed of themselves !
What about using a hot air popper? We’ve been using one for awhile now. I melt coconut oil in the warmer while it’s heating up and then drizzle it over the popped corn ….then I toss everything with kraft Parmesan cheese. It’s delicious! But, uh oh, I’ve never even looked at the ingredients of that powdery cheese – it probably doesn’t even have cheese listed! I’ll have to try your recipe….
Yes! It must have parmesan cheese on it. Also, add some sugar for Kettle Corn 🙂
Please stop encouraging your followers to give red palm oil a try for its incomparable, powerful nutritional virtues without mentioning the egregious environmental and social implications of its production. The rapid expansion of palm oil plantations in Indonesia and Malaysia is a direct result of our food decisions here in North America. This spike in demand, in turn, has increased the incentive for the rapid expansion of palm plantations into the rainforests of Indonesia, causing widespread destruction of our planet’s most culturally and biologically diverse forests. SAVE THE RAINFOREST!
THANK YOU! I was just going to mention this! And SAVE THE ORANGUTANS!
http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/
Indeed. But at least the brand touted here, Nutiva, doesn’t fall into that category.
From their product page:
“We’re excited to introduce our delicious organic Red Palm Oil grown on small organic family farms in NW Ecuador. By partnering with Natural Habitats in Ecuador we ensure that no deforestation or habitat destruction results from the growing or harvesting process.”
Is there any alternative to corn? My hands weep and have blisters if I eat corn. Any suggestions?
Popcorn or field corn? Popcorn is not GMO. Field corn is made into corn syrup, ascorbic acid, dextrin, citric acid, on and on.
Yikes!! I just passed this article along to all of my office mates.
Quick question–is using an air pop machine any better? Switching to that machine at the office would make not consuming microwave popcorn MUCH easier.
Thanks in advance!
I bought my house three and a half years ago and did not supply it with a microwave. I NEVER liked “nuked” food.
My popcorn cravings are handled with my stovetop popper. I try not to use it at work and reading this article reminds me why I usually don’t bother.
Thermos work very well for keep soups and stews warm for lunch.
Love you, Food Babe!
What about Boom Chick Pop???
Vani, great info! I had no idea that the bag that the popcorn came in had PFOA. I use the organic Eden popping kernels and use a popcorn maker with a little organic Nutiva coconut oil and it is delicious!!
We are starting to make the adjustment to clean eating and I couldn’t be more excited!!! I just bought some organic popcorn last night! I am throwing away ALL the popcorn bag I have! No more microwave popcorn for me or my family!
Would organic butter and Himalayan sea salt be a good topping?
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I make our popcorn made with organic coconut oil and Himalayan salt with Organic Valley Pasture butter drizzled on top.
I use kernels from Tiny But Mighty: http://tinybutmightyfoods.com/our-popcorn/. I sneak batches it into the movie theatres–a baggy for each family member. Last year I made several batches for my in-laws and my family–8 of us total–so we could see The Hobbit and have plenty of healful snacking. Yummy!
I’m buying the Nitiva trios as holiday gifts this year.
What about Newman’s Own Organic Popcorn?
I just made a whole pot of popcorn (ORGANIC) last night! With lots of COCONUT OIL and some sea salt!!!! 🙂
This is so shocking- my mom loves popcorn so I’m so to show her this to get her to switch!
Ordered from Nutiva!
Great post FoodBabe, thank you. You should reach out to the Boy Scouts of America, as one of their largest fundraisers sells the stuff every year. Obviously they buy from some company that supplies it for fund raising efforts, but it’s yet another source of the same stuff….most likely one of the brands you listed just under another label.
I do the organic popcorn with melted organic butter / love the salty taste . I use a Utah unprocessed salt . There are many things in popcorn that are quite dangerous . The workers in the microwave popcorn plants starting having issues 20 years ago . The dust in many processing plants can be unhealthy but this mix in popcorn is deadly . I always wondered if the mill and grain workers had a explosion of diseases after the mid 90s . It would be a good article to research …. GMO DUST !Most of these cases are never heard but a litigation case is never public , plus the people sign a contract to shut them up ….. Voni keep stirring the pot … CNN bit was great
Great work Food Babe! Loved the interview and now I am going to start making our own popcorn as well!!! Thanks!!!
Thank you Stephanie!
We use a hot air popcorn machine – no oil needed. We use only organic popcorn that we get at the farmers market – still on the cob but each to remove with your hand. Then we melt butter and pour over the top. Better then any popcorn popped in oil.
You didn’t even mention that the corn was most likely GMO. People should be careful to buy only organic, non-GMO popcorn.
GMO corn doesn’t pop… and as a result ALL popcorn, even the non-organic stuff is GMO free…. I believe Foodbabe alludes to this in the article if you read it…
Quoted from the article above “Even though there are no sources of genetically modified popcorn kernels being produced ”
However, non-organic popcorn will still be grown with the use of pesticides, which is a good enough reason to eat organic where possible.
Popcorn will not cross with GMO corn…..don’t worry. If you are trying to avoid wheat organic popcorn in moderate amount is the perfect substitute.
My local farm has dried out ears of corn that you can put into a bag and put it in the microwave and it pops right off the ear. It tastes great! Just like when my mom used to pop corn on the stove. I’m curious as to what you think of this and if it’s safe???
good info, everyone always pops it in the office. Very hard to resist. Don’t have a stove in the office….darn.
We have been using air popped corn with coconut oil and sea salt for a while now and LOVE it!!!! I will have to try it with the red palm oil and hemp seeds! Thanks
Since the use of red palm oil is contributing to deforestation and decreasing natural habitat for several endangered species, it would be nice if you could provide a more earth friendly butter alternative…
http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_forests/deforestation/forest_conversion_agriculture/orang_utans_palm_oil/
Paul – You are referring to Palm Kernel Oil – Not red palm fruit oil. There is a difference that I explain in the blog post. Red palm comes from Ecuador and is sustainably harvested.
Serves me right for skimming, I guess. Thanks for clarifying, and I am glad to hear it! Cheers!
Argh! You’re right… it’s at the very bottom in italics. Dunno how I missed that. Serves me right for “skimming” I guess. Thanks for clarifying and I am glad to hear it. Cheers!
I have an air popper. They cost maybe $30. Although, yeah, stovetop does taste better with that extra oil, the airpopper is light years faster. I’ve never tried red palm oil, but that bright yellow color seems like it’d work psychological wonders on the flavor. No nutritional yeast? You’ve got to add nutritional yeast, it’s the best on popcorn.
Was going to try that next! 🙂
Great to know! My kids love popcorn.
Air popped popcorn is definitely the way to go – no oils required. To “dress” the popcorn in our house we melt about a teaspoon of butter and then add about a the same in organic soya sauce. The best part though is that we sprinkle the popcorn generously with engivita yeast. It’s high in B vitamins and gives the popcorn a nutty taste. Delicious.
I have a little tip for stovetop. Put ONE kernel in first, then when it pops you add the rest of the kernels … Also shake the pan a little while popping. That way no kernels burn. 🙂 I also love nutritional yeast and garlic on my popcorn. 😉
My favorite tip is to sprinkle the popcorn with nutritional yeast after you stove pop it! It has a nutty/cheesy flavor that is THE BEST and will fool your tongue into thinking you’re have cheesy popcorn.
If you’re unfamiliar with nutritional yeast it is deactivated yeast that comes as either a powder or flakes. It is a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins, and is a complete protein. It is also naturally low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy, and gluten. Perfect additive to a vegan/vegetarian diet!
I’ve been meaning to make this change forever. It’s time! I just bought the Nutivia 3-pack deal and my first ever chia seeds. Thanks for the information as always!
Great post! My husband and I are popcorn freaks and pop some every Sunday when we watch a movie. We recently made the switch to microwave popcorn to popping our own with coconut oil and never looked back. It is SO much tastier- and as you pointed out, healthier!
Awe – love that! My husband and I love popcorn too 🙂 (and movies on Sundays!)
I see electric corn poppers in thrift stores… m or other wise buy a brand new
Presto for about $ 20. season after you place into a big bowl… Avoid all bags that
were popped in Bag. Bad stuff all around go for electric corn popper It id cheap
and healthy.
I buy organic microwave popcorn at Stop and Shop. It is certified organic. Are those bags not are either??
Homemade popcorn tastes SO much better anyways and is SO easy. Love it with just coconut oil salt and pepper.
we have an air popper for popcorn, but occasionally I have sent the kids to school with a brown paper lunch bag with a little popcorn in it… a couple of minutes in the microwave (their schools have microwaves for the kids to use), and they have freshly popped popcorn to share with their friends. If you add a dab of butter ontop of the kernels, it will even coat itself with butter while it pops!
Hey there,
I loved this post!! I recently purchased Newman’s Own organic microwave popcorn. I would have loved to purchase from a different company.. but options are limited in my area. There is only one ingredient: Organic popcorn. Should I return it?
Thanks