On June 25, 2015 Online Post, the digital edition of the Danish newspaper The Copenhagen Post, published an article on microwave oven popcorn bags containing fluorinated chemicals. The Danish consumer council, Forbrugerrådet Tænk, tested the bags of nine brands of microwave oven popcorn and found that the lining of every variety tested contained perfluorinated carboxylic acids (PFCAs), such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA). Actual migration of these substances into the food was not studied. PFOA and PFHxA are also found in other stain- and grease-proof coatings on food packaging, teflon pots and pans, couches and carpets. They are very persistent in the environment and in the human body. PFOA has been linked to infertility, cancer and other diseases in lab animals. There are no long term studies in humans, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests that PFOA be classified as a likely human carcinogen. Retailer Coop Denmark stopped selling microwave oven popcorn in May 2015 because of health and safety concerns (FPF reported). The tested microwave oven popcorn brands can be found here (bottom of the page).
Read more
Ray W. (June 25, 2015). “Microwave popcorn hazardous to your health.” Online Post
Stine Müller (June 22, 2015). “Test: Mikrobølgepopcorn.” Forbrugerrådet Tænk (in Danish)
