Orville Redenbacher's · Microwave Popcorn
Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter Popcorn
Skip; grease-resistant popcorn bags commonly use PFAS coatings.
Orville Redenbacher's popcorn bags likely have a grease-resistant coating for moisture and oil resistance. The brand does not disclose coating chemistry; PFAS use in popcorn bag liners is well-documented industry practice.
The better-graded swap
Trader Joe's
2 Packs Trader Joe's Synergistically Seasoned Popcorn 5.5 Oz Each Pack
70/100 safety
Same rubric that flunked this product. The swap earned Good.
Still want this one anyway? Check the price on Amazon. We’d swap it.
Material
paper/kraft popcorn bag with grease-resistant coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater is made of, ingredients and materials
Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter popcorn uses a kraft paper bag with a grease-resistant coating applied to the interior surface. This coating is designed to prevent butter oil from saturating and degrading the bag during storage and use. The specific coating chemistry is not disclosed by the brand; however, grease-resistant food packaging coatings commonly use fluorinated compounds (PFAS) to achieve water and oil repellency. Once the popcorn is consumed, the bag is discarded, but any residual coating may leach into food during contact.
What’s concerning
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
PFAS
Grease-resistant popcorn bags commonly use fluorinated compounds; this brand does not disclose coating type or confirm PFAS-free status. Independent testing has detected PFAS in similar retail popcorn bags.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating leaching into food
Kraft paper with applied grease-resistant coating contacts oily, salty butter-flavored popcorn for extended periods. Coating integrity and leaching rate are not disclosed; oil and salt may accelerate migration of coating chemicals into food.
Thermal degradation of coating if heated
Unidentified coating composition means thermal stability is unknown. Microwave reheating or exposure to heat sources could degrade coating and increase leaching into food.
Absence of ingredient or material disclosure
Brand does not list grease-resistant coating chemistry on packaging or website. This lack of transparency prevents consumers from identifying or avoiding specific chemical hazards or choosing alternatives.
The full breakdown
The brand's record and disclosure
Orville Redenbacher's (owned by ConAgra Brands) has not publicly disclosed the chemical composition of the grease-resistant coating on this product or confirmed whether PFAS is used. The brand has not issued statements on PFAS reduction, safer coating alternatives, or ingredient transparency for food packaging. No independent certifications (such as NOFAS, GFSI, or third-party coating audits) are listed on the product or website to verify coating safety. This silence on packaging composition is typical of many legacy popcorn brands but represents a transparency gap compared to brands explicitly avoiding PFAS in food contact materials.
How it compares in its category
Grease-resistant popcorn bags in the mainstream retail market (Orville Redenbacher's, Act II, Jolly Time) routinely use fluorinated coatings; independent lab testing has documented PFAS in many such bags. Organic and PFAS-free popcorn options exist (e.g., simple paper or plastic film alternatives from smaller brands) but are less common in mass-market theater-style products. Uncoated or wax-coated kraft bags are available but lack the grease barrier and may show through faster. This product sits in the high-volume, lowest-cost segment where coating disclosure and material alternatives remain minimal.
If you buy it
Minimize direct contact between the bag interior and food; popcorn kernels and butter residue are the primary vectors for coating leaching. Store in a cool, dry place and consume within recommended shelf life to reduce the window for coating degradation. Do not heat the bag (microwave, oven, or stovetop) as elevated temperature increases leaching risk from unidentified coatings. If concerned about PFAS exposure, consider decanting popcorn into a glass container immediately after opening.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Orville Redenbacher's has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
Better-graded alternatives in Microwave Popcorn
Quaker
Butter Popcorn Rice Cakes
- puffed rice cakes in paperboard packaging
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Mold or bacterial growth in packaging
Trader Joe's
2 Packs Trader Joe's Synergistically Seasoned Popcorn 5.5 Oz Each Pack
- paperboard popcorn bag, grease-resistant interior lining
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Moisture and mold risk if bag is compromised
Wabash Valley
Farms Sweet
- paper-based food packaging with standard coating
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Ink migration (printing on exterior or interior)
3 hazards checked on this product. See all of them.
More microwave popcorn grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.