Pirate's Booty · Microwave Popcorn
SkinnyPop & Pirate’s Booty Grab & Go Assortment Popcorn & Puffs
Grease-resistant food packaging; PFAS use undisclosed by brand.
Grab-and-go popcorn packaging likely uses water- and grease-resistant coating, common sources of PFAS in food contact paper. Brand makes no public PFAS disclosure or commitment.
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-based food packaging with grease-resistant coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
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What SkinnyPop & Pirate’s Booty Grab & Go Puffs is made of, ingredients and materials
This is paper-based flexible packaging with a grease-resistant coating designed to contain oily snacks like popcorn and cheese puffs. The coating is almost certainly a fluorinated compound (PFAS-based) or silicone, applied to prevent oil migration and package degradation. The paper substrate itself is typically food-grade bleached kraft or similar, which is inert under normal conditions; the hazard profile depends entirely on what that coating is and whether it migrates into the food under storage or temperature stress.
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
Paper-based grease barrier coatings in snack packaging are predominantly PFAS-based industry-wide. No brand disclosure; migration risk is low at room temperature but increases if package is heated or foods are transferred while warm.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating migration under temperature stress
While not tested for this specific product, paper coatings can leach into fatty foods (popcorn, cheese puffs) if exposed to elevated temperatures during storage or transport. Risk is minimal under normal retail and home storage conditions.
What’s reassuring
Microplastics
No reports of this product's packaging shedding particles or breaking down prematurely under normal use. Coating integrity is typically stable over the product shelf life.
Source, EPA ↗Ink or dye hazards in printing
Food packaging inks are regulated by FDA and are inert on the exterior surface; migration into food is not a documented concern for standard snack packaging printing.
BPA & bisphenols
Paper-based packaging does not typically use BPA or phthalate-containing adhesives in food-contact layers; this hazard class is relevant to plastic films but not established for this product category.
Source, FDA ↗How is this PFAS grade calculated?
The brand's record and disclosure
Pirate's Booty (owned by Robert's American Gourmet, a subsidiary of Amplify Snack Brands) has not publicly disclosed the chemical identity of its grease-resistant packaging coatings. Industry investigation and legal filings (notably a 2021 lawsuit in Vermont) confirm widespread use of PFAS in food packaging by major snack makers, though Pirate's Booty has not been specifically named in recalls. The brand provides no third-party certifications (e.g., PFAS-free claims) and does not list coating chemistry on packaging or corporate sustainability statements.
How it compares in its category
Most mainstream popcorn and puffed snack packaging uses similar grease-resistant coatings; this product is not an outlier. Alternatives marketed as PFAS-free (some organic or premium brands) are available but cost substantially more and remain hard to verify independently. Standard paper-based snack packaging in this price tier is virtually indistinguishable in its coating chemistry across brands, making this a category-wide issue rather than a brand-specific failure.
If you buy it
Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place; do not heat the package or transfer contents while in the bag under high heat, as this may increase coating migration into food. The product is shelf-stable and poses no degradation or leaching risk during normal storage at ambient conditions. If concerned about PFAS, prioritize reducing frequency of consumption and voice demand to manufacturer for PFAS-free alternatives. Recycle the packaging as contaminated paper (check local rules) rather than composting.
What is not known about PFAS in this product?
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Pirate's Booty has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
What are the PFAS-free alternatives to SkinnyPop & Pirate’s Booty Grab & Go Assortment Popcorn & Puffs?
- puffed rice cakes in paperboard packaging
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Mold or bacterial growth in packaging
- paperboard popcorn bag, grease-resistant interior lining
- We found no PFAS statement from the brand
- Moisture and mold risk if bag is compromised
- 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, all on its full breakdown.
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.