Live data from Hacker News

Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

uclahealth.org

191–200 of 430 posts

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#191
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get pretty varied with the seasoning too. Parmesan is my favorite, but I like Italian herbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder. You can throw a bunch of stuff on there together.

Sprayed with cooking spray, then dusted with flavored gelatin power & quickly popped in the oven, you will get something that resembles those flavored popcorns with a sucker-like candy shell.

What flavors do you prefer (for gelatin powda?)

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#192
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What's wrong with the anti-caking agents?

I guess it'd depend on what the agent was, but either way, it means some amount of the salt you're pouring over your food isn't salt. Eliminate the non-salt from your salt and you never have to worry about what might be wrong with it or how much non-salt you're paying for. That's the reason I've switched to shredding my own parmesan cheese instead of just shaking it out of a can since the cans in some cases contain ~…

Table salt is just sea salt (the stuff mined from underground just comes from an ocean that dried up a few million years ago) and is full of other compounds beyond NaCl.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#194

Best popcorn you can make is cheap and easy cleanup. Take one large pot (the kind that holds like 10qts). Cover the bottom with kernels. Add a bit of oil, basically just enough to swirl and have everything covered in an oil sheen, not enough to have them submerged. Cover, put on high (I use gas). I like to suspend a paper towel between the lid and the rest of the pot, absorbs excess oil and water. Once popping slows,…

That's why I take out a dozen or so unpopped kernels before popping the rest. It's easier to throw them right in the trash, rather than have to pick them out of the rest of the popped corn.

Plus who wants to eat unlucky popcorn?

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#195

Best popcorn you can make is cheap and easy cleanup. Take one large pot (the kind that holds like 10qts). Cover the bottom with kernels. Add a bit of oil, basically just enough to swirl and have everything covered in an oil sheen, not enough to have them submerged. Cover, put on high (I use gas). I like to suspend a paper towel between the lid and the rest of the pot, absorbs excess oil and water. Once popping slows,…

I love movie theater popcorn so I often try to get that exact experience at home. The biggest leap in quality for me is using a tall pot and a colander on top, it achieves the same goal as your paper towel between the lid-- getting that excess moisture out of the pot really makes all the difference!

The secret to movie popcorn flavor is coconut oil and the flavored salt.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#196

An oncologist in my family anecdotally told me how her patients are getting younger and younger - speculates (with research) that lots of food chemicals might be contributing. Since the beginning of this year, our family has been much more conscious of the ingredients in the food labels. Lots of additives with many different numbers. We've been trying to get back to more natural things with less numbers. We bought br…

The numbers are not bad, and in many cases they might even be totally natural (eg. e330 citric acid, the acid present on citrus fruits).

I worry more about what's not in the labels (like pesticides used, antibiotics in meats, packaging etc). Your approach seems to be directionally correct tho, if you source your ingredients right.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#197

Once I learned you can just microwave plain kernels in a paper bag, I threw out all of our microwave popcorn. Even low-salt/low-fat is much saltier and richer than I prefer. Now with this PFAS news, it's yet another reason to ditch the prepackaged popcorn.

Are you entirely sure that the paper bag used was PFAS free?

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#198
post #4

Something I learned a few weeks ago: Put 1/3 cup kernels in a large brown paper lunch bag and fold the top down several times. Microwave as normal, bag standing up, listening for pops to slow down. Air pops in the bag with no issues. Salt (and ghee) after you dump it in the bowl. I have stopped using my whirlypopper.

Are we sure that paper bags sold and used like this are PFAS free?

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#199

Best popcorn you can make is cheap and easy cleanup. Take one large pot (the kind that holds like 10qts). Cover the bottom with kernels. Add a bit of oil, basically just enough to swirl and have everything covered in an oil sheen, not enough to have them submerged. Cover, put on high (I use gas). I like to suspend a paper towel between the lid and the rest of the pot, absorbs excess oil and water. Once popping slows,…

Out of interest, why do you prefer a salt grinder? I've never understood why these exist. Pepper grinders, absolutely - the aromatics are released on grinding. By not so with salt. Curious if I'm missing something.

This comment reminded me that for the past few years I’ve been using a hand crank coffee grinder for my pepper and i don’t think I’ll ever go back. It’s perfect.

Re: Eating microwave popcorn increases the level of PFAS in body (2022)

#200
post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've asked my mother the exact same question a couple of weeks ago. She said, that as salt is hygroscopic "table salt" comes with anti-cacking agents. Salt which comes as larger crystals doesn't need them.

What's wrong with the anti-caking agents?

Starch is a common anti-caking agent. Too much of it will make you fat.
Post reply on HN