Throughout all the books and online articles that I had reviewed about health and non-toxic products, I had never read anything about the hazards in microwave popcorn. Recently, however, I was reading an article in The New York Times Magazine and the author casually mentioned that she and her family avoid microwave popcorn because of the lining. So I immediately went online to research this and wish I knew more about this earlier, especially when I was pregnant. Oh well, better late than never…
If you do a search on “microwave popcorn”, then you’ll find a lot of information about this. The information below sufficiently convinced me of why I should avoid it. All other articles I came across just further reinforced it. Also, I found some related YouTube videos that are below.
- Microwaveable popcorn bags are often coated with PFCs on the inside.
- Fluorooctanoic Acid, which is added to the microwave-popcorn bags as a resistant coating, releases onto the popcorn when the bag is heated up and is then absorbed into the bloodstream and stays there for a long time. This chemical appears to be carcinogenic in lab animals. The FDA is now studying the affects of this chemical in greater detail. (AssociatedContent.com)
- In addition to the problem above, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is studying a different problem associated with the butter flavoring in microwave popcorn. NDTV.com had this to report: “Exposure to vapors from butter flavoring in microwave popcorn has been linked to a rare lung disease contracted by factory workers in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.” The companies who manufacture the harmful Teflon chemical stated they will eliminate the chemical by the year 2015. (AssociatedContent.com)
- So what can you do in the meantime? Popcorn has become a staple and is also an affordable luxury in these troubled economic times. Recently I discovered all was not lost and I would still be able to enjoy a newer brand of microwave popcorn. A new company, headed by Jaci Rae, has come up with an affordable, practical and convenient solution that will help ensure you and your family isn’t being exposed to toxic chemicals when eating this delectable treat. (AssociatedContent.com)
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