In recent times, we notice that more and more people tend to go for packaged or pre-packaged food products due to how convenient they are. Packaged microwave popcorn is one of such products that is being greatly enjoyed all around the world since all you have to do is to just microwave it and you get to enjoy some salty and buttery goodness. After all, how can you enjoy a good movie without an equally good popcorn available.
With all the joys of consuming packaged microwave popcorn, it is only right to know whether they pose any risk or not since we are what we eat. In this post, we will dive into packaged microwave popcorn and their associated risks from consumption.
Packaged microwave popcorn is basically seasoned or flavored popcorn placed in microwaveable bags. These popcorns are normally coated with butter, hydrogenated oil, salt, sugar syrup among other additives. A common additive in packaged microwave popcorn is diacetyl. Diacetyl is an organic compound widely used as a butter flavoring agent for packaged popcorn. This compound is linked to respiratory diseases like bronchiolitis obliterans which occurs as a result of inhaling the flavoring compound (Park and Gilbert, 2018).
The microwaveable bags used for packaged popcorn contain per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), particularly perfluorooctanoic acid which are highly resistant to degradation even at high temperatures. They are used because of their nonstick, grease- and water-resistant abilities. These PFAS are associated with altered thyroid function and cancer. The microwaveable bags used for packaged microwave popcorn are found to contain the highest concentrations of these substances (Susmann et al., 2019).
PFAS are known to persist in the human body for years and apart from packaged popcorn, they can be found in fish and pizza. The level of migration these PFAS into foods like packaged popcorn is dependent on higher temperatures and longer contact time with the food. Some volatile PFAS such as fluorotelomer alcohols are present in the vapor of microwaved packaged popcorn and this shows that inhaling vapor from the microwaved popcorn can be a risk of exposure.
Packaged microwave popcorn contains excess amount of salt to suit the taste of consumers. Though salt intake is beneficial to our health, the excess amount of it in packaged popcorn is rather detrimental to us. The intake of excess amount of salt in snacks like popcorn lead to risks of hypertension, strokes, heart attacks and osteoporosis (Ainsworth and Plunkett, 2007). To reduce salt in packaged popcorn, it will be best to combine it with potassium chloride since potassium can help normalize blood pressure and reduce risks associated high salt intake.
Packaged microwave popcorn is high in calories due to the hydrogenated oil present. The hydrogenated oils used in packaged popcorn can contain trans-fat which leads to obesity and an increase in low density lipoprotein (LDL). This increase in LDL causes a reduction in high density lipoprotein which leads to risks of several cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks.
Popcorn without any added flavors or seasonings is recommended as a whole-grain snack because it can be used to increase whole grain and dietary fiber in the diet. For instance, a 35-g serving of popcorn contains 4 g of dietary fiber, or 16% of the U.S. Recommended Daily Value. Popcorn is known to contain around 4% water, 80% carbohydrates (including 15% dietary fiber), 12% protein, and 4% fat. It is also a rich source of riboflavin, manganese and phosphorus (Akbari-Adergani et al., 2023).
Conclusion
With all we now know about packaged microwave popcorn, the best way to consume popcorn and enjoy all its benefits is to prepare it by popping our raw kernels with the use of a stove or an air-popper at home. Make sure to go light on the salt and other seasonings you want to add so that you get to enjoy all the healthy goodness of popcorn.
References
Ainsworth, P. and Plunkett, A. (2007) Reducing salt in snack products, Reducing Salt in Foods: Practical Strategies. Woodhead Publishing Limited. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1533/9781845693046.3.296.
Akbari-Adergani, B. et al. (2023) ‘Acrylamide content of industrial and traditional popcorn collected from Tehran’s market, Iran: A risk assessment study’, Journal of Food Protection, 26(1), p. 100001. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2022.10.001.
Park, R.M. and Gilbert, S.J. (2018) ‘Pulmonary Impairment and Risk Assessment in a Diacetyl-Exposed Population’, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60(6), pp. 496–506. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1097/JOM.0000000000001303.
Susmann, H.P. et al. (2019) ‘Dietary habits related to food packaging and population exposure to PFASs’, Environmental Health Perspectives, 127(10). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP4092.
Comentários