# Is Microwave Popcorn Safe? PFAS in Bags, Diacetyl, and Safer Ways to Pop

- Author: No More Forever Chemicals
- Published: October 14, 2026
- Last updated: October 14, 2026
- Category: PFAS & Health

## Key takeaways

- On February 28, 2024, the FDA said PFAS grease-proofing materials are no longer being sold for U.S. food packaging, including microwave popcorn bags, fast-food wrappers, take-out paperboard containers, and pet food bags.
- In January 2025 the FDA determined that 35 related food-contact notifications are no longer effective as of January 6, 2025. A compliance date of June 30, 2025 applied to certain packaging already produced. That is not a lab test of every bag.
- A PFOA-free claim addresses PFOA. Long-chain grease-proofers, including PFOA, left U.S. food-contact use by November 2016. Other PFAS grease-proofers remained in use until the later phase-out.
- CDC's 2002 report on a Missouri microwave popcorn factory tied butter-flavoring vapors, marked by diacetyl, to fixed obstructive lung disease in workers. The same report said CDC had no evidence of a risk for consumers preparing and eating microwave popcorn.

**Quick answer:** Microwave popcorn bags were one of the packages the FDA named for PFAS grease-proofing. On February 28, 2024, the FDA announced that those grease-proofing materials are no longer being sold for use in U.S. food packaging. In January 2025 it determined that 35 related food-contact notifications are no longer effective, with a compliance date of June 30, 2025 for certain packaging already made. A line that says only "PFOA-free" does not establish that a bag is free of every PFAS. "Popcorn lung" is the popular name for bronchiolitis obliterans in workers who inhaled butter-flavoring chemicals, including diacetyl, in popcorn and flavoring plants. A 2002 CDC report said the agency had no evidence of that risk for people preparing and eating microwave popcorn at home. To skip the commercial bag, pop plain kernels in a covered pot.

Below is what the FDA said about the bag coating, what CDC and NIOSH reported about diacetyl in plants, and the covered pots and storage pieces linked from our [non-toxic products directory](/non-toxic-products). The wider paper-packaging phase-out, including parchment and takeout wrappers, is in the [parchment and food-storage guide](/post/is-parchment-paper-pfas-free-safer-food-storage-and-baking-swaps). Pan materials are compared in the [PFAS-free cookware guide](/post/best-pfas-free-cookware-nonstick-pan-alternatives-compared).

## Do microwave popcorn bags contain PFAS?

They were one of the uses the FDA names for PFAS grease-proofing. On February 28, 2024, the FDA said grease-proofing substances containing PFAS were applied to fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, pet food bags, and other similar packaging. The coating was there to resist grease, oil, and water.

The same announcement said manufacturers are no longer selling those substances for food-contact use in the U.S. market. That sentence describes a stop in sales of the grease-proofing agents. It is not a laboratory result for the box in a particular store, and the FDA pages cited here do not describe a recall of popcorn already sold.

Two separate issues get bundled together on a popcorn box. The bag question is about fluorinated grease-proofing on paper. The "popcorn lung" question is about breathing butter-flavoring chemicals, especially diacetyl, in a factory. They are different substances and different kinds of exposure.

## What did the FDA announce about grease-proofing on popcorn bags?

On February 28, 2024, the FDA announced that grease-proofing materials containing PFAS are no longer being sold for use in food packaging in the United States. The agency said this eliminates the major source of dietary exposure to PFAS from packaging such as fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, and pet food bags.

The FDA's constituent update the same day is more specific about the packages. It says the PFAS substances were applied to fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, pet food bags, and other similar types of packaging. It also says the original commitment letters told the FDA that paper and paperboard products containing these substances could take 18 months to exhaust the market supply from the last date of sale, and that most of the companies had left the market before their original phase-out date.

That 2024 announcement completed a longer phase-out. The FDA's market phase-out page explains the sequence.

**Long-chain grease-proofers left first.** In the early 2000s the FDA raised safety questions about PFAS with eight or more carbon atoms, often called C8 or long-chain compounds. The most common types named on that page are PFOA and PFOS. Through voluntary withdrawals and FDA revocations, those long-chain grease-proofers stopped being used for U.S. food contact between 2011 and 2016. The FDA says that as of November 2016, long-chain PFAS are no longer used in food-contact applications sold in the United States.

**A short-chain subset was phased out after 2020.** Short-chain PFAS were used as replacements. In 2020, after a review of data on 6:2 fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH), the FDA obtained commitments from manufacturers to stop selling grease-proofing substances that contain that substance. The phase-out page says it was anticipated that existing stocks of those products might not be exhausted until June 2025.

**The remaining authorized grease-proofers stopped for business reasons.** In 2023 the FDA received confirmation that manufacturers of the remaining authorized PFAS grease-proofers had ceased selling them for U.S. food-contact use. The FDA says those products were not part of the 2020 commitments because the agency did not have safety concerns for that remaining group.

PFAS authorized for food contact fall into four groups on the FDA's authorized-uses page: nonstick coatings, sealing gaskets for food-processing equipment, manufacturing aids, and grease-proofing agents for paper food packaging. The FDA says current data indicate that only the paper and paperboard agents would result in dietary exposure that may raise a potential safety concern. The popcorn-bag issue sits in that fourth group. It is not a finding about every nonstick pan. Pan choices are in the [cookware guide](/post/best-pfas-free-cookware-nonstick-pan-alternatives-compared).

## Does the phase-out mean every bag was tested?

No. On January 3, 2025, the FDA announced a Federal Register determination that 35 food-contact notifications for PFAS grease-proofing on paper and paperboard are no longer effective. The reason is abandonment: the manufacturers or suppliers had ceased production, supply, or use of those substances for the intended use. The notifications are no longer effective as of January 6, 2025.

The FDA set a compliance date of June 30, 2025 for certain paper food packaging that had been produced, supplied, or used before January 6, 2025, so existing stocks could be exhausted. This guide is dated after that compliance date. The agency has also developed a screening method to keep checking paper food packaging for these substances.

Read those dates in order. Sales of the grease-proofing substances had stopped. Commitment letters had allowed time for supply already in the chain to run out. The notifications then ceased to be effective, with a later compliance date for some packaging already made. A stop in sales, a lag while stocks are exhausted, and a screening program are three different things. None of them is a test result printed on a single box of popcorn.

## Does "PFOA-free" mean a popcorn bag is PFAS-free?

No. PFOA is one chemical. The FDA's market phase-out page treats PFOA as a common long-chain, or C8, compound. Those long-chain grease-proofers were out of U.S. food-contact use as of November 2016. Short-chain PFAS grease-proofers, including substances that can contain 6:2 FTOH, were still authorized after that, until the later commitments and the 2023 cessation of the remaining products.

A package that says "PFOA-free" is talking about PFOA. It can be true of a bag that used a different PFAS grease-proofer. PFAS is the family. Look for the word PFAS when that is the question you are asking. This directory does not list a microwave popcorn brand, and this guide does not treat a missing ingredient line as a test.

## What did older studies find in microwave popcorn bags?

FDA researchers published migration studies years before the phase-out. They describe products tested then. They are not a 2026 shelf survey, and they predate the end of long-chain food-contact use.

A 2005 paper, "Perfluorochemicals: potential sources of and migration from food packaging," reported that PFOA was present in microwave popcorn bag paper at amounts as high as 300 micrograms per kilogram. The same abstract says migration tests showed milligram-per-kilogram amounts of perfluoro paper additives and coatings transferring into food oil. The paper calls microwave susceptor bags an extreme food-contact use of paper, because the susceptor heating elements heat to over 200°C in about 1–2 minutes.

A 2008 paper, "Migration of fluorochemical paper additives from food-contact paper into foods and food simulants," tested fluorochemical-treated paper and also used microwave popcorn. The abstract's example is that microwave popcorn contained 3.2 milligrams of fluorochemical per kilogram of popcorn after popping. Butter in that study contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram after 40 days at 4°C.

Those numbers belong to the papers' own samples. They do not measure a bag manufactured after the 2024 sales stop or the June 30, 2025 compliance date.

## What is popcorn lung?

Popcorn lung is the popular name for a rare lung disease. CDC's flavorings page, updated February 24, 2025, calls the disease obliterative bronchiolitis. It is also called constrictive bronchiolitis and bronchiolitis obliterans. The page says the disease scars and constricts the small airways and blocks air movement, and that it cannot be cured.

The exposure CDC describes is workplace inhalation, not a serving of popcorn at the table. Diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) and its substitute, 2,3-pentanedione, are flavoring chemicals used in microwave popcorn, bakery mix, and flavored coffee production. The page says workplace exposure to diacetyl has been associated with severe respiratory impairment and with obliterative bronchiolitis. It says 2,3-pentanedione has had similar respiratory effects in animal studies. OSHA notes that the phrase "popcorn lung" came into use because so many of the cases were associated with popcorn manufacturing plants.

The investigation that fixed the name started at a microwave popcorn factory. In May 2000, a physician reported eight former workers of a Missouri microwave popcorn factory with fixed obstructive lung disease. CDC's MMWR report says all eight had an illness resembling bronchiolitis obliterans, with cough and shortness of breath on exertion, and that four were on lung transplant lists. They had worked at that factory at some time from 1992 to 2000, for periods ranging from 8 months to 9 years. Four were mixers of oil, salt, and flavorings. Four worked in microwave packaging and had never been mixers. No cases were reported among workers in other areas of the factory, using the health department's estimated job split.

The mixing tank was heated and gave off dust, aerosols, and vapors with a strong buttery odor. In a November 2000 survey of 117 current workers, CDC measured diacetyl as a marker for flavoring vapors. The geometric mean air concentration was 18 parts per million in the room where the mixing tank was located, 1.3 ppm in the microwave-packaging area, and 0.02 ppm in other areas of the plant. The rate of obstruction on spirometry was 3.3 times higher than expected. Rates of obstructive abnormalities rose with cumulative exposure to the airborne flavoring chemicals.

OSHA's summary of that investigation says there was "a risk for occupational lung disease in workers with inhalation exposure to butter flavoring chemicals." OSHA also says there is still no specific OSHA standard for occupational exposure to flavorings, diacetyl, or 2,3-pentanedione. General workplace rules still apply.

NIOSH later published recommended limits for workplaces. The 2016 criteria document, *Occupational Exposure to Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione*, recommends keeping diacetyl below 5 parts per billion as an 8-hour time-weighted average and sets a 15-minute short-term limit of 25 parts per billion. For 2,3-pentanedione, NIOSH recommends 9.3 parts per billion as the 8-hour limit, because that is as low as the sampling method can reliably quantify, and a 15-minute limit of 31 parts per billion. The document says its content is intended for occupational exposures and does not address consumer exposures. The 2002 MMWR, written before those limits existed, noted that no OSHA permissible exposure limit or NIOSH recommended exposure level for diacetyl existed at that time.

The mixing-room figure and the later recommended limit are not the same kind of number. Eighteen parts per million in that 2000 survey is a measured geometric mean in one room of one plant. Five parts per billion is a 2016 recommendation for an 8-hour workday. Putting them side by side shows the kind of air the occupational findings came from. It is not a home kitchen measurement.

## Does making microwave popcorn at home cause popcorn lung?

The 2002 CDC report answered that directly for the evidence it had. "The Food and Drug Administration regulates flavorings based on the safety of the amounts consumed, not the safety of prolonged worker inhalation of high concentrations. CDC has no evidence to suggest risk for consumers in the preparation and consumption of microwave popcorn."

The February 24, 2025 CDC page says the same split in current language. FDA evaluated these flavoring chemicals and determined they are "generally recognized as safe" to eat. Workers can be exposed in different ways and in different quantities than a general consumer. The harm the page describes is for food and chemical industry workers who breathe contaminated air.

That is an occupational finding plus a statement that CDC did not have evidence of a consumer risk from preparing and eating the popcorn. It is not a promise about every future study, and it is not medical advice. A "diacetyl-free" flavor is also a narrower claim than it sounds. CDC identifies 2,3-pentanedione as a diacetyl substitute with similar effects in animal studies. Skipping the word diacetyl does not, by itself, identify every related flavoring chemical.

## How can you pop corn without a commercial microwave bag?

Use plain kernels and a covered pot, and add fat or salt after they pop. That skips the commercial grease-proof bag the FDA named. It also skips heating a butter-flavoring mix in the package. CDC's consumer sentence still stands: the agency said it had no evidence that preparing and eating microwave popcorn created the worker risk. The pot is a way to avoid the coated bag, not a treatment.

This directory does not list an air popper or a microwave popcorn brand. An air popper, if you already own one, also pops plain kernels without a grease-proof bag. A plain brown paper bag is a third route people use for the same reason: the bag is not a commercial microwave popcorn bag sold with a grease-proof coating. This guide does not have a PFAS test of ordinary lunch bags, and it does not give a microwave time. Use a method you already trust, and stay with it while it runs.

The covered pots actually listed here are a cast-iron Dutch oven, an enameled cast-iron Dutch oven, and a stainless soup pot with a lid. None of the listings calls the pot a popcorn popper. The fit is the lid and the material, which you can read below.

## Popping and storage options compared

| Option | What the listing says | Best for | What it does not say |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Lodge cast iron Dutch oven, 7 quart](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SOM5XS) | A Dutch oven that is also a dual-handle skillet. The listing says it is made with only iron and oil and describes the cookware as PFAS-free. | Popping kernels on the stove with the lid on | It does not mention popcorn, and it does not say the lid was designed as a popper. |
| [Lodge enamel Dutch oven, 6 quart](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U1OCPWQ) | Enameled cast iron. The listing says it is PFAS free, stovetop compatible, and oven safe to 500°F. | The same covered-pot pop, in enamel | It does not mention popcorn. |
| [All-Clad D5 4-quart soup pot](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EEDN8RG) | Stainless steel soup pot with lid, oven and broiler safe to 600°F, including induction. | A smaller covered stainless pot | It does not say PFAS-free. This guide does not add that claim. |
| [Razab glass containers](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DQG97P) | Borosilicate glass with BPA-free locking lids. The listing says the glass is freezer, microwave, and oven safe, and that the lids are not. | Leftover popcorn after it cools | It does not make a PFAS claim. The lid is plastic with a silicone seal. |
| [Bee's Wrap](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BWVXP6Y) | A 14-by-53-inch roll made from beeswax, organic plant oils, and tree resin. The listing says it can be hand washed, reused, and composted when finished. | Covering a bowl of cooled popcorn | It does not say PFAS-free, and it is not a popping bag. |

### Covered cast iron

The [Lodge 7-quart cast iron Dutch oven](/products/dutch-oven) is the large covered pot in this directory. The listing says the pot is made with only iron and oil and describes that cookware as PFAS-free. The same listing calls it a Dutch oven and a dual-handle skillet. Use it covered on the stove for kernels. The listing does not say it was sold as a popcorn machine.

The [Lodge 6-quart enameled Dutch oven](/products/lodge-essential-enamel-cast-iron-dutch-oven-6-quart-oyster) is the enameled option. The listing says it is PFAS free, works on a stovetop, and is oven safe to 500°F. It recommends hand washing even though the pot is dishwasher safe. It also does not mention popcorn.

### A covered stainless pot

The [All-Clad D5 4-quart soup pot](/products/stainless-steel-pot) is the stainless pot with a lid. The listing describes 5-ply bonded stainless steel, a lid, and use on any stovetop including induction. It does not say PFAS-free, so this guide does not call it PFAS-free. It is a covered metal pot without a nonstick coating claim on the listing. Four quarts is the smaller batch of the three pots here.

### Leftovers

Move cooled popcorn into the [Razab glass containers](/products/glass-food-storage-containers) when you want it off a paper bag. The listing says the glass can go from freezer to oven to microwave and that the lids cannot. Take the lid off before the container goes in the microwave or oven.

[Bee's Wrap](/products/beeswax-wraps) is a bowl cover made from beeswax, organic plant oils, and tree resin. It can cover a bowl of cooled popcorn. The listing does not say PFAS-free, and the wrap is not a substitute for a popping vessel.

1. Read the bag claim. "PFOA-free" addresses PFOA. It does not establish that every PFAS is absent.
2. Treat the FDA dates as a sales stop plus time for stocks to clear, not as a test of the box in your hand.
3. Pop plain kernels in a covered pot if you want to skip the commercial grease-proof bag.
4. Keep the worker findings and the consumer sentence together. CDC tied the lung disease to plant exposures and said it had no evidence of that risk from preparing and eating microwave popcorn.
5. Store leftovers in glass. The [directory](/non-toxic-products) links the pots and the containers above.

## Frequently asked questions

### Did the FDA recall microwave popcorn?

The FDA pages cited here do not describe a recall of popcorn already sold. They say grease-proofing substances containing PFAS are no longer being sold for U.S. food-contact use. Commitment letters allowed time for supply already made to run out. In January 2025 the FDA determined that 35 related notifications are no longer effective, with a June 30, 2025 compliance date for certain packaging produced before January 6, 2025.

### Are those 35 food-contact notifications still in effect?

No. The FDA said they are no longer effective as of January 6, 2025, because the manufacturers or suppliers had ceased production, supply, or use. The notifications had authorized PFAS grease-proofing coatings on paper and paperboard packaging to prevent leaking of oil and water. Microwave popcorn bags are one of the packages the February 28, 2024 FDA update named for those substances.

### Is diacetyl a PFAS?

Diacetyl is a different substance. CDC identifies diacetyl as 2,3-butanedione, a flavoring chemical used to give a butter flavor, and identifies 2,3-pentanedione as a substitute. The FDA's popcorn-bag action is about PFAS grease-proofing on paper. One product can raise both questions. A test, or a ban, aimed at one of them does not answer the other.

### Did NIOSH set a workplace exposure limit for diacetyl?

Yes, in the 2016 criteria document. NIOSH recommends 5 parts per billion of diacetyl as an 8-hour time-weighted average and 25 parts per billion for 15 minutes. For 2,3-pentanedione the recommended 8-hour limit is 9.3 parts per billion and the 15-minute limit is 31 parts per billion. OSHA says it has no specific standard for diacetyl or 2,3-pentanedione. The NIOSH document says it addresses occupational exposure and does not address consumer exposure.

### Were the sick workers people making popcorn at home?

No. The eight cases in the 2002 MMWR were former workers at a microwave popcorn factory in Missouri. Four mixed oil, salt, and flavorings at a heated tank. Four worked in microwave packaging at that factory. CDC wrote that it had no evidence of a risk for consumers preparing and eating microwave popcorn.

### Does the All-Clad pot listing say the pot is PFAS-free?

No. The All-Clad D5 4-quart soup pot listing describes a lidded stainless steel pot that is oven safe to 600°F. It does not say PFAS-free. The Lodge cast-iron Dutch oven listing does say PFAS-free and says the pot is made with only iron and oil. The Lodge enamel Dutch oven listing also says PFAS free. Those are the words on each listing.

### Can the glass lids go in the microwave?

The Razab listing says the glass containers are microwave and oven safe and that the lids are not. Take the lid off before you reheat. The listing says the lids are BPA-free. It does not make a PFAS claim.

### Is a beeswax wrap a popcorn popping bag?

No. The Bee's Wrap listing describes a washable roll of beeswax, organic plant oils, and tree resin for covering food. Use it on a bowl of cooled popcorn if you want a reusable cover. It is not a commercial microwave bag, and the listing does not say PFAS-free.

## Bottom line

Microwave popcorn bags were a named use of PFAS grease-proofing, and those substances are no longer being sold for U.S. food packaging. The related notifications are no longer effective, with a June 30, 2025 compliance date for certain packaging already produced. That history is not a lab slip for every box, and "PFOA-free" does not mean PFAS-free. The lung disease called popcorn lung was documented in workers who breathed butter-flavoring vapors on the job. CDC said it had no evidence of that risk for people preparing and eating microwave popcorn. Plain kernels in a covered pot skip the commercial bag. The pots and the glass containers are in the [non-toxic products directory](/non-toxic-products).

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## Sources

- U.S. FDA, [FDA, Industry Actions End Sales of PFAS Used in US Food Packaging](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-industry-actions-end-sales-pfas-used-us-food-packaging) (February 28, 2024)
- U.S. FDA, [FDA Announces PFAS Used in Grease-Proofing Agents for Food Packaging No Longer Being Sold in the U.S.](https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-announces-pfas-used-grease-proofing-agents-food-packaging-no-longer-being-sold-us) (February 28, 2024)
- U.S. FDA, [Market Phase-Out of Grease-Proofing Substances Containing PFAS](https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/market-phase-out-grease-proofing-substances-containing-pfas)
- U.S. FDA, [Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications](https://www.fda.gov/food/process-contaminants-food/authorized-uses-pfas-food-contact-applications)
- U.S. FDA, [FDA Determines Authorization for 35 Food Contact Notifications Related to PFAS Are No Longer Effective](https://www.fda.gov/food/hfp-constituent-updates/fda-determines-authorization-35-food-contact-notifications-related-pfas-are-no-longer-effective) (January 3, 2025)
- U.S. FDA, [Food Contact Notifications That Are No Longer Effective](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-06/pdf/2024-31692.pdf), 90 FR 653 (January 6, 2025)
- FDA researchers, [Perfluorochemicals: potential sources of and migration from food packaging](https://europepmc.org/article/MED/16227186). *Food Additives and Contaminants*. 2005;22(10):1023–1031. [PubMed 16227186](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16227186/)
- FDA researchers, [Migration of fluorochemical paper additives from food-contact paper into foods and food simulants](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18311629/). *Food Additives & Contaminants: Part A*. 2008;25(3):384–390. [PubMed 18311629](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18311629/)
- CDC, [Fixed Obstructive Lung Disease in Workers at a Microwave Popcorn Factory — Missouri, 2000–2002](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5116a2.htm). *MMWR*. 2002;51(16):345–347
- CDC / NIOSH, [Flavorings and Lung Disease](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/flavoring-related-lung-disease/about/index.html) (page updated February 24, 2025)
- NIOSH, [Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2016-111/pdfs/2016-111.pdf), Publication No. 2016-111 (October 2016)
- OSHA, [Flavorings-Related Lung Disease](https://www.osha.gov/flavorings-related-lung-disease)

*For educational purposes only, not medical advice. Product descriptions reflect each manufacturer's listing in this site's product directory at the time of writing.*

*Product links in this post may be affiliate links. Compensation may be received for qualifying purchases.*

## Questions from this guide

### Do microwave popcorn bags contain PFAS?

They were one of the uses the FDA names for PFAS grease-proofing. On February 28, 2024, the FDA said grease-proofing substances containing PFAS were applied to fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, pet food bags, and other similar packaging. The coating was there to resist grease, oil, and water. The same announcement said manufacturers are no longer selling those substances for food-contact use in the U.S. market.

### What did the FDA announce about grease-proofing on popcorn bags?

On February 28, 2024, the FDA announced that grease-proofing materials containing PFAS are no longer being sold for use in food packaging in the United States. The agency said this eliminates the major source of dietary exposure to PFAS from packaging such as fast-food wrappers, microwave popcorn bags, take-out paperboard containers, and pet food bags. The FDA's constituent update the same day is more specific about the packages.

### Does the phase-out mean every bag was tested?

No. On January 3, 2025, the FDA announced a Federal Register determination that 35 food-contact notifications for PFAS grease-proofing on paper and paperboard are no longer effective. The reason is abandonment: the manufacturers or suppliers had ceased production, supply, or use of those substances for the intended use. The notifications are no longer effective as of January 6, 2025.

### Does "PFOA-free" mean a popcorn bag is PFAS-free?

No. PFOA is one chemical. The FDA's market phase-out page treats PFOA as a common long-chain, or C8, compound. Those long-chain grease-proofers were out of U.S. food-contact use as of November 2016. Short-chain PFAS grease-proofers, including substances that can contain 6:2 FTOH, were still authorized after that, until the later commitments and the 2023 cessation of the remaining products. A package that says "PFOA-free" is talking about PFOA. It can be true of a bag that used a different PFAS grease-proofer.

### What did older studies find in microwave popcorn bags?

FDA researchers published migration studies years before the phase-out. They describe products tested then. They are not a 2026 shelf survey, and they predate the end of long-chain food-contact use. A 2005 paper, "Perfluorochemicals: potential sources of and migration from food packaging," reported that PFOA was present in microwave popcorn bag paper at amounts as high as 300 micrograms per kilogram.

### What is popcorn lung?

Popcorn lung is the popular name for a rare lung disease. CDC's flavorings page, updated February 24, 2025, calls the disease obliterative bronchiolitis. It is also called constrictive bronchiolitis and bronchiolitis obliterans. The page says the disease scars and constricts the small airways and blocks air movement, and that it cannot be cured. The exposure CDC describes is workplace inhalation, not a serving of popcorn at the table.

### Does making microwave popcorn at home cause popcorn lung?

The 2002 CDC report answered that directly for the evidence it had. "The Food and Drug Administration regulates flavorings based on the safety of the amounts consumed, not the safety of prolonged worker inhalation of high concentrations. CDC has no evidence to suggest risk for consumers in the preparation and consumption of microwave popcorn." The February 24, 2025 CDC page says the same split in current language.

### How can you pop corn without a commercial microwave bag?

Use plain kernels and a covered pot, and add fat or salt after they pop. That skips the commercial grease-proof bag the FDA named. It also skips heating a butter-flavoring mix in the package. CDC's consumer sentence still stands: the agency said it had no evidence that preparing and eating microwave popcorn created the worker risk. The pot is a way to avoid the coated bag, not a treatment. This directory does not list an air popper or a microwave popcorn brand.

### Did the FDA recall microwave popcorn?

The FDA pages cited here do not describe a recall of popcorn already sold. They say grease-proofing substances containing PFAS are no longer being sold for U.S. food-contact use. Commitment letters allowed time for supply already made to run out. In January 2025 the FDA determined that 35 related notifications are no longer effective, with a June 30, 2025 compliance date for certain packaging produced before January 6, 2025.

### Are those 35 food-contact notifications still in effect?

No. The FDA said they are no longer effective as of January 6, 2025, because the manufacturers or suppliers had ceased production, supply, or use. The notifications had authorized PFAS grease-proofing coatings on paper and paperboard packaging to prevent leaking of oil and water. Microwave popcorn bags are one of the packages the February 28, 2024 FDA update named for those substances.

### Is diacetyl a PFAS?

Diacetyl is a different substance. CDC identifies diacetyl as 2,3-butanedione, a flavoring chemical used to give a butter flavor, and identifies 2,3-pentanedione as a substitute. The FDA's popcorn-bag action is about PFAS grease-proofing on paper. One product can raise both questions. A test, or a ban, aimed at one of them does not answer the other.

### Did NIOSH set a workplace exposure limit for diacetyl?

Yes, in the 2016 criteria document. NIOSH recommends 5 parts per billion of diacetyl as an 8-hour time-weighted average and 25 parts per billion for 15 minutes. For 2,3-pentanedione the recommended 8-hour limit is 9.3 parts per billion and the 15-minute limit is 31 parts per billion. OSHA says it has no specific standard for diacetyl or 2,3-pentanedione. The NIOSH document says it addresses occupational exposure and does not address consumer exposure.

### Were the sick workers people making popcorn at home?

No. The eight cases in the 2002 MMWR were former workers at a microwave popcorn factory in Missouri. Four mixed oil, salt, and flavorings at a heated tank. Four worked in microwave packaging at that factory. CDC wrote that it had no evidence of a risk for consumers preparing and eating microwave popcorn.

### Does the All-Clad pot listing say the pot is PFAS-free?

No. The All-Clad D5 4-quart soup pot listing describes a lidded stainless steel pot that is oven safe to 600°F. It does not say PFAS-free. The Lodge cast-iron Dutch oven listing does say PFAS-free and says the pot is made with only iron and oil. The Lodge enamel Dutch oven listing also says PFAS free. Those are the words on each listing.

### Can the glass lids go in the microwave?

The Razab listing says the glass containers are microwave and oven safe and that the lids are not. Take the lid off before you reheat. The listing says the lids are BPA-free. It does not make a PFAS claim.

### Is a beeswax wrap a popcorn popping bag?

No. The Bee's Wrap listing describes a washable roll of beeswax, organic plant oils, and tree resin for covering food. Use it on a bowl of cooled popcorn if you want a reusable cover. It is not a commercial microwave bag, and the listing does not say PFAS-free.

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