PFAS in Microwave Popcorn, Which Brands Grade Best and Worst

Based on available materials and data, the two Pirate's Booty puffed snacks in our database Pirate's Booty Cheddar Blast Puffs and Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Pokemon Puffs, currently grade highest in our Microwave Popcorn category at Good (70/100). Nearly every traditional bagged microwave popcorn we reviewed, including major national brands, graded Poor (25/100) in our model-based estimate. This is a category where packaging chemistry matters as much as the kernels themselves, and the spread between top and bottom scores is unusually wide for a snack aisle staple.

That said, this is a nuanced win. The two Good-graded products are puffed corn snacks rather than classic butter-bag microwave popcorn, so shoppers looking specifically for a stovetop-bag experience will find that every bagged microwave popcorn brand we assessed, including SkinnyPop Popcorn Kirkland Signature Microwave Popcorn, and multiple Boom Chicka Pop varieties, landed in the Poor tier. None of this is lab certainty. It reflects our model's reading of public disclosures, packaging materials, and known industry practices for grease-resistant bag coatings, and grades can change as brands update formulations or disclosures.

Summary Comparison

Product	PFAS Grade (Model Estimate)	Verdict
Pirate's Booty Cheddar Blast Puffs	Good (70/100)	Lower concern based on reviewed materials
Pirate's Booty Aged White Cheddar Pokemon Puffs	Good (70/100)	Lower concern based on reviewed materials
Angie's BoomChickaPop Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
Angie's BoomChickaPop Real Butter Microwave Popcorn	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
Angie's BoomChickaPop Kettle Corn Microwave Popcorn	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP Sea Salt Microwave Popcorn	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
Kirkland Signature Microwave Popcorn	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
SkinnyPop Popcorn	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
Pirate's Booty Popcorn - 40 ct	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
Snappy Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure
SkinnyPop & Pirate's Booty Grab & Go Assortment	Poor (25/100)	Elevated concern, avoid if minimizing exposure

The Best-Graded Products

Pirate's Booty Cheddar Blast Puffs and Aged White Cheddar Pokemon Puffs

Both puffed snacks come in bagged formats without the grease-resistant paper liner design used in traditional bag-in-box microwave popcorn. Pirate's Booty markets its puffs as simple, minimally processed snacks, and the brand has not made explicit PFAS-free claims in the materials we reviewed. Our Good grade (70/100) reflects a model-based estimate from packaging composition and public disclosure, not an independent lab test.

Pros, Higher relative score in the category, packaging format that avoids the microwave-bag grease-proofing chemistry associated with lower grades elsewhere in this list.

Cons, Not a traditional microwave popcorn experience, no third-party PFAS lab certification found in reviewed sources, and a 70/100 still leaves room for improvement rather than indicating zero detectable risk.

Where Most Brands Fall Short

The overwhelming pattern in our data is that traditional bagged microwave popcorn, the kind that expands inside a paper bag in the microwave, scored Poor (25/100) across every brand we assessed, regardless of price tier or premium positioning. This includes both budget options like Snappy Movie Theater Butter Microwave Popcorn and warehouse-club staples like Kirkland Signature Microwave Popcorn. Even brands that market themselves around cleaner ingredient lists, such as SkinnyPop Popcorn, landed in the same Poor tier in our review.

Angie's BoomChickaPop (all four variants reviewed)

Angie's BoomChickaPop markets its snacks around "real ingredients" and simple recipes, and the brand has built a reputation on that positioning. However, brand-stated ingredient simplicity claims are distinct from verified packaging chemistry data. Across Sea Salt, Real Butter, and Kettle Corn microwave popcorn variants, our model estimate consistently landed at Poor (25/100), suggesting packaging materials are the likely driver rather than the popcorn itself.

Pros, Widely available, consistent branding around simple ingredients.

Cons, Every variant we reviewed graded Poor, no verified third-party PFAS testing found in public materials, brand claims about ingredients do not address packaging-level PFAS exposure questions.

Pop Secret, Kirkland Signature, SkinnyPop, and Snappy

These represent some of the most recognizable names in the microwave popcorn aisle, and all graded Poor (25/100) in our model. None of the brand materials we reviewed included explicit, verifiable third-party lab documentation addressing PFAS in the bag lining specifically. That absence of disclosure, combined with known industry use of grease-resistant coatings in this product category, is a major factor behind the lower grades.

Pros, Familiar, widely stocked, generally consistent taste and texture across batches.

Cons, Poor grade across the board, limited public disclosure on bag-lining chemistry, no lab-verified PFAS-free claims found in reviewed sources.

Pirate's Booty Popcorn - 40 ct and the Grab & Go Assortment

Notably, not every Pirate's Booty product shares the Good grade seen in the brand's puff line. The Pirate's Booty Popcorn - 40 ct multipack and the SkinnyPop & Pirate's Booty Grab & Go Assortment both graded Poor (25/100), a reminder that grades are product-specific and packaging-specific, not brand-wide guarantees. A single company can carry both higher- and lower-graded items depending on format and materials used.

What to Avoid

• Traditional bag-in-box microwave popcorn with no disclosed information about the bag's grease-resistant coating chemistry.
• Products marketed with vague "all natural" or "real ingredients" language that does not specifically address PFAS or packaging materials.
• Assuming a brand's other product lines share the same grade. Check the specific product, since format changes the outcome, as seen with Pirate's Booty's puffs versus its bagged popcorn.
• Treating any grade, high or low, as a substitute for independent lab verification. Our scores are model-based estimates from available materials and public disclosure, not certified lab results.

Our Pick

Based on available materials and data, the Pirate's Booty puff snacks Cheddar Blast Puffs and

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