Popcorn is a simple-to-make snack found in many homes. Just zap a bag in the microwave and you'll have a warm, buttery treat in four minutes or less. But there are lesser-known chemical caveats to the go-to treat. They're called PFAS — and you'll want to know about them before you pop your next kernel.
What's happening?
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a family of human-made chemicals commonly used in food packaging. PFAS can repel oil, grease, heat, and water — helpful qualities in fast-food packaging, takeout containers, and microwave popcorn bags.
But when you heat a bag of popcorn — or any food product, for that matter — these chemicals can transfer from the packaging into the popcorn itself.
One uneasy parent asked UCLA Health's Ask the Doctors blog about the potential dangers of PFAS. The parent wrote: "I read that some food wrappers, like bags for microwave popcorn, use PFAS to keep food from sticking. My kids eat microwaved popcorn almost every night. Should I be worried?"
Why is avoiding PFAS important?
In response, UCLA Health explained that PFAS are indeed associated with various health concerns like high blood pressure, decreased fertility in women, liver damage, cancer, low birth weight, and an increased risk of asthma and thyroid disease.
"Research suggests that people who regularly consume microwave popcorn have markedly higher levels of PFAS in their bodies," UCLA Health added. "A study published in 2019 … found that people who ate microwave popcorn every day over the course of a year had levels of PFAS that were up to 63% higher than average."
PFAS are also called "forever chemicals" because many of them are not easily broken down over time. PFAS can dissolve in water, too, allowing them to "accumulate and persist, both in the environment and in our tissues," according to UCLA Health.
UCLA Health wrote: "All of these factors, along with their widespread use, means PFAS are present not only in the environment but also in the blood and tissues of humans and animals throughout the world."
What's being done about PFAS in microwave popcorn?
Many particularly dangerous PFAS were phased out of food packaging between 2000 and 2015, according to an article published in Environmental Health Perspectives. But there are still plenty of PFAS left in the food industry.
A 2017 study from Environmental Science & Technology Letters collected fast-food packaging from around the U.S., finding evidence of PFAS in 46% of food-contact papers (such as hamburger wrappers) and 20% of paperboard samples (such as french fries boxes).
Unfortunately, PFAS are also found in cleaning products, nonstick cookware, textiles, paints, makeup, and personal care products. Avoiding them completely is unlikely, but you can take action to reduce your exposure — like curbing your microwave popcorn intake.
"Considering the questions that continue to surround the safety of consuming PFAS, we think it would be reasonable to curtail the daily use of microwave popcorn," UCLA Health said.
But don't mourn the loss of popcorn yet. You can still make the go-to snack without PFAS by cooking kernels over the stove or using a silicone popcorn popper. It limits your PFAS exposure — and prevents wasteful single-use packaging from entering landfills.
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