Popcorn, air-popped
Checked by us One serving: 50 g · 194 kcal
Some protein and fibre. 3 more nutrients in moderate amounts: see Good for.
Nothing to watch for most people.
Worth knowing for some people: choking risk under age 4; nickel for people who are sensitised.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (50 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- Some
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
6.47 g in one serving: 12% of the 56 g a day men need, 14% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Some
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
7.25 g in one serving: 19% of the 38 g a day men need, 29% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- Some
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
72 mg in one serving: 18% of the 400 mg a day men need, 23% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
1.54 mg in one serving: 14% of the 11 mg a day men need, 19% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
1.86 mg in one serving: 12% of the 16 mg a day men need, 13% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
17 more nutrients at a little or less
- A little
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
1.6 mg in one serving: 20% of the 8 mg a day men need, 9% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.08 mg in one serving: 6% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
165 mg in one serving: 5% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 6% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.05 mg in one serving: 4% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 5% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
15.5 µg in one serving: 4% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.04 mg in one serving: 3% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 4% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
10.6 mg in one serving: 2% of the 550 mg a day men need, 2% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
27 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 2% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0.15 mg in one serving: 1% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
5 µg in one serving: 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, 1% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
0.6 µg in one serving: 1% of the 120 µg a day men need, 1% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
3.5 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
Fumonisins
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 9.4 servings in a day of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 7.5 µg (FB1+FB2)
How we got this
470 g a day reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2018 group tolerable daily intake for fumonisins FB1-FB4 is 1 µg/kg body weight/day, 70 µg a day at 70 kg. At 150 µg/kg of FB1+FB2 in hot-air-popped popcorn (39 kernel samples), about 467 g of popcorn in one day, eaten alone, would reach it, an upper bound since FB3, FB4 and hidden forms were not measured. A 50 g serving carries 7.5 µg, 11% of the limit (microwave-popped, 192 µg/kg: 9.6 µg, 14%). EFSA's 2018 opinion gives no adult mean, so the doubling test cannot be run; the older EFSA 2014 adult means ran 0.03-1.19 µg/kg body weight/day.
Acrylamide
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 3 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the acrylamide an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 22–49% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 13.9 µg (acrylamide)
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe limit is set for acrylamide; EFSA's 2015 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 0.17 mg/kg body weight/day. A 50 g serving at the Spanish mean of 277 µg/kg (91 samples) carries 13.9 µg, 0.20 µg/kg body weight/day, adding +22% to +49% to EFSA's adult mean exposure of 0.4-0.9 µg/kg body weight/day, under the doubling line. That mean covers all cooking methods and microwave bags run higher; FDA's air-popped brand read 40 ppb (2 µg a serving), so the air-popped value is probably lower.
Aflatoxins
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 4 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the aflatoxins an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 1.8–27% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 4.2 ng (AFB1, lower bound)
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe limit is set for aflatoxin B1; EFSA's 2020 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 0.4 µg/kg body weight/day. A 50 g serving adds 4.2 ng (lower bound) to 15.5 ng (upper bound), 0.060-0.221 ng/kg body weight/day at 70 kg: +12% to +27% on EFSA's lower-bound adult mean (0.22-0.49 ng/kg body weight/day) and +7% to +16% on the upper-bound mean (1.35-3.25), under the doubling line. 76% of the 46 European results were non-detects, a small sample.
Checked for nickel, cadmium, aluminum, glyphosate residues and lead: fine at normal amounts.
Nickel
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 46 servings in a day of this food alone to use up what the highest average adult intake we found leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 14.6 µg
How we got this
The highest average adult intake we found already takes up about 26% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 3,100 g a day would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 50 g a day, which stays within the 2,300 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2020 tolerable daily intake for nickel is 13 µg/kg body weight/day, 910 µg a day at 70 kg. At 0.2922 µg/g (Total Diet Study microwave popcorn, 15 composites), about 3,114 g in one day, eaten alone, would reach it. A 50 g serving carries 14.6 µg, 1.6% of the limit, and adds +5% to +10% to EFSA's adult background (median 3.16; surveys 2.02-3.92 µg/kg body weight/day).
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Cadmium
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 15 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.5 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 2.8% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 73% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 18,000 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 350 g a week, which stays within the 5,100 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 2.8% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Aluminum
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 97 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 102 µg
How we got this
34,000 g a week reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg a week at 70 kg. At 2.039 µg/g (Total Diet Study microwave popcorn, 15 composites), about 34,331 g in a week, eaten alone, would reach it. A 50 g serving every day is 714 µg a week, 1.0% of the limit (3.4% with the older pooled 1993-99 value, 6.782 µg/g); the bag may add some aluminium and is not separated.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
Glyphosate residues
Nothing to watchYou’d need more than 100 servings in a day of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 0.06 µg (glyphosate, lower bound)
How we got this
30,000,000 g a day reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA's 2023 acceptable daily intake for glyphosate is 0.5 mg/kg body weight/day, 35,000 µg a day at 70 kg. At the CFIA lower-bound mean of 0.001162 µg/g (50 samples, 3 detected), about 30,120,482 g of popcorn in one day would reach it, an upper bound; at the highest sample, 0.0203 µg/g, 1.7 million g. A 50 g serving carries 0.06 µg; whether kernels or popped popcorn were sampled is not stated.
Lead
Nothing to watchYou’d need more than 100 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 0.6% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.21 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. A 50 g serving at the Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 4.259 ng/g (15 yearly composites of microwave popcorn, as eaten) carries 213 ng, 0.0030 µg/kg body weight/day, 0.61% of that reference point.
Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites) · grade A
For some people
Health Canada names popcorn: not safe for children younger than four years.
Flagged for people with nickel contact allergy: EFSA's 2020 lowest-observed-adverse-effect level is 4.3 µg Ni/kg body weight after a single oral dose, 301 µg at 70 kg. A 50 g serving carries 14.6 µg (0.21 µg/kg body weight), a margin of 21, while EFSA treats 30 or more as low concern. About 1,030 g would reach the level itself, and 34 g leaves a margin of 30.
Measured, not rated: 16.5 mg oxalate
Learn more
We haven’t rated this food for oxalate. We count only a figure that comes from a grade A or B source and says it was measured per 100 g of the food as eaten, and none of the figures here does both.
How we got this
Not rated: the only figure is 33 mg oxalate per 100 g from a patient-foundation list with no stated method. For people who form calcium-oxalate stones, a 50 g popped serving works out to 16.5 mg, under the list's own 25 mg low-oxalate line.
Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation. Oxalate list (022724), 2024 · grade B
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sugar
0.4 g of sugar in a 50 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 2
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Context only: total arsenic, no inorganic share, no reference value applied. 50 g = 0.30 µg total As. FDA TDS microwave butter: not detected in all 3.
Shown as context, not rated: EFSA's 2020 reference point for ochratoxin A is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 14.5 µg/kg body weight/day, but the only Canadian figure is one CFIA sample, not detected, which is too few to rate. A Spanish study detected it in 10 of 30 popcorn kernel samples (no concentrations in the abstract), so the zero should not be read as absence.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 50 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More protein
Pumpkin seeds15 g in 50 g (this food: 6.47 g) · but less fibre
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For fibre: no other snacks we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 50 g.
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other snacks we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
- Pumpkin seeds
- More magnesium (250 mg vs 72 mg)
- More niacin (7.29 mg vs 1.86 mg)
- More selenium (10.3 µg vs 0 µg)
- Less fibre (2.54 g vs 7.25 g)
Walnuts, raw- More omega-3: ALA (4,540 mg vs 27 mg)
- More vitamin B6 (0.33 mg vs 0.08 mg)
- Less fibre (2.61 g vs 7.25 g)
Cashews, raw- More selenium (10.3 µg vs 0 µg)
- More vitamin K1 (17.1 µg vs 0.6 µg)
- More thiamin (0.21 mg vs 0.05 mg)
- Less fibre (2.05 g vs 7.25 g)
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Celery, raw- 7 kcal in 50 g (this food: 194)
- More vitamin K1 (14.7 µg vs 0.6 µg)
- Less fibre (0.8 g vs 7.25 g)
- Less magnesium (5.47 mg vs 72 mg)
Greek yogurt, plain, nonfat- 30 kcal in 50 g (this food: 194)
- More vitamin B12 (0.38 µg vs 0 µg)
- Less fibre (0 g vs 7.25 g)
- Less magnesium (5.5 mg vs 72 mg)
Carrots, raw- 22 kcal in 50 g (this food: 194)
- More vitamin A (418 µg vs 5 µg)
- Less magnesium (6.23 mg vs 72 mg)
- Less fibre (1.55 g vs 7.25 g)
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g.
- Pumpkin seeds29.9 g protein · 515 kcal per 100 g
- Cashews, raw17.4 g protein · 533 kcal per 100 g
2 foods out of the 14 other snacks we’ve checked and could compare give clearly more protein, and more calories, per 100 g.
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Edamame, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Popcorn, air-popped (unsalted)
How the serving was set: 50 g popped (Health Canada TRA S.1, chips, pretzels, popcorn ...)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.054 g | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Calcium | 7 mg | 3.5 mg | 1.81 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| 7 mg | 3.5 mg | 1.81 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4110 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 77.78 g | 38.89 g | 20.1 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Choline | 21.2 mg | 10.6 mg | 5.48 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Energy | 387 kcal | 193.5 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Fat | 4.54 g | 2.27 g | 1.17 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 0.637 g | 0.32 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Fibre | 14.5 g | 7.25 g | 3.75 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Folate | 31 µg | 15.5 µg | 8.01 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Iron | 3.19 mg | 1.6 mg | 0.82 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Magnesium | 144 mg | 72 mg | 37.21 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 3.725 mg | 1.86 mg | 0.96 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #4110 | C |
| Phosphorus | 358 mg | 179 mg | 92.51 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Potassium | 329 mg | 164.5 mg | 85.01 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Protein | 12.94 g | 6.47 g | 3.34 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.083 mg | 0.04 mg | 0.02 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Selenium | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Sodium | 8 mg | 4 mg | 2.07 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Sugars | 0.87 g | 0.44 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.104 mg | 0.05 mg | 0.03 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin A | 10 µg | 5 µg | 2.58 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.157 mg | 0.08 mg | 0.04 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin E | 0.29 mg | 0.15 mg | 0.07 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin K1 | 1.2 µg | 0.6 µg | 0.31 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Water | 3.32 g | 1.66 g | 0.86 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Zinc | 3.08 mg | 1.54 mg | 0.8 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 89 µg | 44.5 µg | 23 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Copper | 0.262 mg | 0.13 mg | 0.07 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Ash | 1.42 g | 0.71 g | 0.37 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Starch | 54.4 g | 27.2 g | 14.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Sucrose | 0.72 g | 0.36 g | 0.19 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Glucose | 0.07 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Fructose | 0.07 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Maltose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Theobromine | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Energy | 1,618 kj | 809 kj | 418.09 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Galactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 196 iu | 98 iu | 50.65 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 58 µg | 29 µg | 14.99 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Folate, food | 31 µg | 15.5 µg | 8.01 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 31 µg | 15.5 µg | 8.01 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Betaine | 0.8 mg | 0.4 mg | 0.21 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Tryptophan | 0.085 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Threonine | 0.452 g | 0.23 g | 0.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Isoleucine | 0.431 g | 0.22 g | 0.11 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Leucine | 1.473 g | 0.74 g | 0.38 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Lysine | 0.338 g | 0.17 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Methionine | 0.252 g | 0.13 g | 0.07 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Cystine | 0.217 g | 0.11 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Phenylalanine | 0.59 g | 0.3 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Tyrosine | 0.488 g | 0.24 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Valine | 0.607 g | 0.3 g | 0.16 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Arginine | 0.598 g | 0.3 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Histidine | 0.367 g | 0.18 g | 0.09 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Alanine | 0.9 g | 0.45 g | 0.23 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Aspartic acid | 0.836 g | 0.42 g | 0.22 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Glutamic acid | 2.255 g | 1.13 g | 0.58 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Glycine | 0.492 g | 0.25 g | 0.13 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Proline | 1.048 g | 0.52 g | 0.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Serine | 0.571 g | 0.29 g | 0.15 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 0.536 g | 0.27 g | 0.14 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 0.076 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.016 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 0.931 g | 0.47 g | 0.24 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 2.263 g | 1.13 g | 0.58 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.054 g | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.008 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.005 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.014 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 0.95 g | 0.48 g | 0.25 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 2.318 g | 1.16 g | 0.6 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 15:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| SFA 17:0 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 n-6 c,c,c | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Lactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 1,450 µg | 725 µg | 374.68 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Manganese | 1.113 mg | 0.56 mg | 0.29 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 2.308 mg | 1.15 mg | 0.6 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.51 mg | 0.26 mg | 0.13 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #167959 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Acrylamide · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe limit is set for acrylamide; EFSA's 2015 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 0.17 mg/kg body weight/day. A 50 g serving at the Spanish mean of 277 µg/kg (91 samples) carries 13.9 µg, 0.20 µg/kg body weight/day, adding +22% to +49% to EFSA's adult mean exposure of 0.4-0.9 µg/kg body weight/day, under the doubling line. That mean covers all cooking methods and microwave bags run higher; FDA's air-popped brand read 40 ppb (2 µg a serving), so the air-popped value is probably lower. · PubMed 39608630 · B
- Aflatoxins · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe limit is set for aflatoxin B1; EFSA's 2020 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 0.4 µg/kg body weight/day. A 50 g serving adds 4.2 ng (lower bound) to 15.5 ng (upper bound), 0.060-0.221 ng/kg body weight/day at 70 kg: +12% to +27% on EFSA's lower-bound adult mean (0.22-0.49 ng/kg body weight/day) and +7% to +16% on the upper-bound mean (1.35-3.25), under the doubling line. 76% of the 46 European results were non-detects, a small sample. · EFSA 2020 · B
- Aluminum · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's tolerable weekly intake for aluminium is 1 mg/kg body weight/week, 70,000 µg a week at 70 kg. At 2.039 µg/g (Total Diet Study microwave popcorn, 15 composites), about 34,331 g in a week, eaten alone, would reach it. A 50 g serving every day is 714 µg a week, 1.0% of the limit (3.4% with the older pooled 1993-99 value, 6.782 µg/g); the bag may add some aluminium and is not separated. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Arsenic, all forms · Context · Context only: total arsenic, no inorganic share, no reference value applied. 50 g = 0.30 µg total As. FDA TDS microwave butter: not detected in all 3. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 2.8% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Choking risk under age 4 · Worth knowing · Health Canada names popcorn: not safe for children younger than four years. · Health Canada, Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations… · A
- Fumonisins · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2018 group tolerable daily intake for fumonisins FB1-FB4 is 1 µg/kg body weight/day, 70 µg a day at 70 kg. At 150 µg/kg of FB1+FB2 in hot-air-popped popcorn (39 kernel samples), about 467 g of popcorn in one day, eaten alone, would reach it, an upper bound since FB3, FB4 and hidden forms were not measured. A 50 g serving carries 7.5 µg, 11% of the limit (microwave-popped, 192 µg/kg: 9.6 µg, 14%). EFSA's 2018 opinion gives no adult mean, so the doubling test cannot be run; the older EFSA 2014 adult means ran 0.03-1.19 µg/kg body weight/day. · PubMed 34357958 · B
- Glyphosate residues · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2023 acceptable daily intake for glyphosate is 0.5 mg/kg body weight/day, 35,000 µg a day at 70 kg. At the CFIA lower-bound mean of 0.001162 µg/g (50 samples, 3 detected), about 30,120,482 g of popcorn in one day would reach it, an upper bound; at the highest sample, 0.0203 µg/g, 1.7 million g. A 50 g serving carries 0.06 µg; whether kernels or popped popcorn were sampled is not stated. · CFIA 2015–2017 · A
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe limit is set for lead; EFSA's 2010 reference point is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL01) of 0.5 µg/kg body weight/day. A 50 g serving at the Health Canada Total Diet Study mean of 4.259 ng/g (15 yearly composites of microwave popcorn, as eaten) carries 213 ng, 0.0030 µg/kg body weight/day, 0.61% of that reference point. · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Nickel · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA's 2020 tolerable daily intake for nickel is 13 µg/kg body weight/day, 910 µg a day at 70 kg. At 0.2922 µg/g (Total Diet Study microwave popcorn, 15 composites), about 3,114 g in one day, eaten alone, would reach it. A 50 g serving carries 14.6 µg, 1.6% of the limit, and adds +5% to +10% to EFSA's adult background (median 3.16; surveys 2.02-3.92 µg/kg body weight/day). · Health Canada Total Diet Study, trace elements · A
- Nickel for people who are sensitised · Worth knowing · Flagged for people with nickel contact allergy: EFSA's 2020 lowest-observed-adverse-effect level is 4.3 µg Ni/kg body weight after a single oral dose, 301 µg at 70 kg. A 50 g serving carries 14.6 µg (0.21 µg/kg body weight), a margin of 21, while EFSA treats 30 or more as low concern. About 1,030 g would reach the level itself, and 34 g leaves a margin of 30. · EFSA 2020 · A
- Ochratoxin A · Context · Shown as context, not rated: EFSA's 2020 reference point for ochratoxin A is a benchmark dose lower limit (BMDL10) of 14.5 µg/kg body weight/day, but the only Canadian figure is one CFIA sample, not detected, which is too few to rate. A Spanish study detected it in 10 of 30 popcorn kernel samples (no concentrations in the abstract), so the zero should not be read as absence. · CFIA 2011 · C
- Oxalate for kidney-stone formers · Not rated yet · Not rated: the only figure is 33 mg oxalate per 100 g from a patient-foundation list with no stated method. For people who form calcium-oxalate stones, a 50 g popped serving works out to 16.5 mg, under the list's own 25 mg low-oxalate line. · Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation 2024 · B
Sources
- CFIA, 2015-2017 Glyphosate Testing Data, open.canada.ca dataset 906cd35c-d396-4999-9a9f-f5351796661f (resource 11318cc2-f9ef-4774-8b54-4716c18cc340)
cfia-glyphosate-2015-2017· dataset · Open Government Licence - Canada - CFIA, Food Safety Action Plan Targeted Survey - Ochratoxin A in Selected Foods - 2011-2012
cfia-ota-2011-12· secondary source · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright) - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - EFSA (2020) Annexes to the risk assessment of aflatoxins in food, Annex B (occurrence tables), Zenodo · doi:10.5281/zenodo.3607186
efsa-2020-aflatoxins-annex· dataset · CC BY 4.0 - EFSA CONTAM Panel (2020). Update of the risk assessment of nickel in food and drinking water. EFSA Journal 18(11):6268 (PMC7643711) · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6268 · doi.org
efsa-2020-nickel· full text read · CC BY (EFSA Journal) - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Health Canada, Nutrition for Healthy Term Infants: Recommendations from Six to 24 Months
hc-infant-nutrition-6-24-months· page · Government of Canada terms (Crown copyright; not OGL) - Health Canada, Canadian Total Diet Study – Trace Elements (2005–2018 composites)
hc-tds-trace-elements· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Oxalosis and Hyperoxaluria Foundation. Oxalate list (022724), 2024
ohf-oxalate-list-2024· full text read · copyright OHF - Schambri P, Brunet S, Bailly JD, Kleiber D, Levasseur-Garcia C. Effect of Popcorn (Zea mays var. everta) Popping Mode (Microwave, Hot Oil, and Hot Air) on Fumonisins and Deoxynivalenol Contamination Levels. Toxins (Basel) 2021;13(7):486 · doi:10.3390/toxins13070486 · PMID 34357958
pmid:34357958· secondary source · CC BY (Europe PMC licence field, PMC8310172) - Sebastia A, Fernandez-Matarredona C, Castagnini JM, et al. Acrylamide content in popcorn from Spanish market: Risk assessment. Food Chem Toxicol 2025;196:115145 · doi:10.1016/j.fct.2024.115145 · PMID 39608630
pmid:39608630· secondary source · licence not recorded
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.