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Microwave popcorn bag from ConAgra, unpopped state Microwave popcorn bag, popped stateMicrowave popcorn is a convenience food consisting of unpopped popcorn in an enhanced, sealed paper bag intended to be heated in a microwave oven. In addition to the dried corn, the bags typically contain cooking oil with sufficient saturated fat to solidify at room temperature, one or more seasonings (often salt), and natural or artificial flavorings or both.
Design
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The bag is typically partially folded when it is placed in a microwave, and inflates as a result of steam pressure from the heated kernels.
Microwave popcorn bags are designed to avoid popped-kernel scorching, an undesirable effect that takes place when popped kernels are heated above 300 °F (150 °C).[1] A susceptor—usually a metalized film laminated onto the paper of the bag—absorbs microwaves and concentrates heat at the film interface, thus ensuring a heat distribution focused on the hard-to-heat flavor coating so that the unpopped kernels are evenly coated prior to popping, thereby ensuring even flavor throughout the product.
Some popcorn is flawed and will not pop because of possible damage to the shell, which allows the steam to escape. These unpopped kernels are known as "old maids" or "spinsters".[2]
An early susceptor popcorn bag design was patented by the American company General Mills in 1981 (US Patent #4,267,420).[3]
Safety issues
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Care in package design is needed for food safety.[4]
A safety issue is that the cooking time given on the packaging does not apply to all microwave ovens. Setting the timer and coming back later, after the timer's alarm has sounded, could result in the popcorn being burnt and smoking badly. Microwave popcorn makers suggest that the person cooking the popcorn stay near the oven to observe the popcorn as it cooks, and take the popcorn out when the time between pops is more than a few seconds.
Some microwave ovens have a specific mode designed for cooking popcorn, which either uses factory-calibrated time and power level settings, or which uses humidity or sound sensors to detect when popping has finished.[5][6]
The concern about microwave popcorn bags has increased in terms of the waste and their harmful impacts on the environment. The coating materials used in microwave popcorn bags can have negative effects on the environment. Researchers have detected toxic chemicals in the bags, such as perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) and their potential precursors.
Harmful chemicals
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Researchers have detected many PFCs in microwave popcorn bags used as coating materials for oil and moisture resistance. The amount of PFOA in some microwave popcorn bags is determined as high as 300 μg kg−1.[7] Besides PFOA and PFOS, Moral et al. also determined other perfluorocarboxylic acids (PFCAs) in popcorn packaging, including perfluoroheptanoic (PFHpA), perfluorononanoic (PFNA), perfluorodecanoic (PFDA), perfluoroundecanoic (PFUnA), and perfluorododecanoic (PFDoA) acids.[8]
Due to the toxicity of PFOA, major U.S. manufacturers volunteered to phase out production of PFOA by the end of 2015. In addition, the use of perfluoroalkyl ethyl-containing food-contact substances are no longer allowed by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations in January 2016.[9] However, although the production of PFOA and PFOS was reduced, the production of fluorotelomer-based chemicals applied to food contact papers is still increasing. Some compounds, such as polyfluoroalkyl phosphate surfactants (PAPs) or fluorotelomers (FTOH), have been used in some brands of microwave popcorn bags.[8] Those compounds are precursors of PFCAs, and evidence shows that they are more toxic than PFCAs themselves. Furthermore, they may also be degraded to PFCAs, and therefore leading to the increase of PFCAs concentrations in the environment and generating adverse effects.[8][10]
Contact us to discuss your requirements of can you put a paper bag in the microwave. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Environmental impacts
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Because of the large amount of production of microwave popcorn bags, they have also become a significant contaminant source (PFCs) to the environment. Due to the disposal of coated paper and manufacturing activities, PFOA has also been detected in wastewater and biosolids.[11] Soil near disposal sites are contaminated by PFOA as well.[12]
See also
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Notes
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Popped corn has been known for thousands of years.
In Mexico there is evidence of popped corn dating back to around 3600 BC. However, historical evidence has even dated further back to 4,700 BC in Peru. In those days they got the corn to pop by using fire to heat the sand, and then the corn was fried within it.
It was an American Jim Watkins (The owner of the Popz group) who back in 1971 invented the microwave popcorn in the United States.
In the first 2 years Jim Watkins delivered all microwave popcorn sold throughout the United States from his own delivery van. Today microwave popcorn is not just a product but an entire industry. The US market sales exceeds 2.5 billion bags yearly.
In 2011 we moved our production from Denmark to Hungary where we now have the world’s most modern factory for the production of microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn.
At the factory we produce microwave popcorn around the clock and supply countries throughout Europe. Popz is the fastest growing popcorn brand and is currently sold in more than 38 countries worldwide.
In addition to the production facility in Hungary we have also established Popz Agro Kft. where we grow and process popping corn. Every year we test many different popcorn hybrids (all from the US) to find the very best for the individual regions.
Did you know that the whole popcorn industry has decided that they will not use biotechnology for genetic engineering of popcorn hybrids? All popcorn today is therefore guaranteed GMO free.
Frequently asked questions about popcorn ->
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