At the cinema, on the sofa in front of a TV series, during an afternoon of games with friends or simply as a hunger-busting snack, popcorn is always the perfect snack. Crunchy, practical and seemingly harmless, they are often chosen as a “healthier” alternative to chips. But are we sure that all popcorn is really as light and genuine as we think?
In reality, there can be important differences between the various brands in terms of ingredients and nutritional values. To clarify, Altroconsumo compared 16 brands of popcorn – 12 salty and 4 sweet – present in supermarkets and discount stores, analyzing ingredients and nutritional values. The result? Only some deserve a positive rating, while all sweet popcorn ends up at the bottom of the list due to excess sugar, saturated fat and additives.
The popcorn ranking
Here is how the 16 products tested are positioned according to the analysis:
The highest-rated popcorns all have simple ingredients: corn, high oleic sunflower oil and little salt, and about 500 kcal per 100 g, with total fat between 27 and 29 g and very low saturated fat (2.1 g/100 g). Salt is also kept moderate, around 1 g/100 g. These factors make these products “cleaner” from a nutritional point of view. A snack to be consumed without exaggerating, of course, but definitely closer to the idea of a simple snack.
Then there are “acceptable” products, with ingredient lists that are still short but characterized by some nutritional problems. Some brands such as Conad and Carrefour tend to exaggerate with salt, while others – Popz, Pam and Esselunga – use coconut oil which causes saturated fat to skyrocket up to 23 grams per hectare. The calories remain similar to the more virtuous products, but the nutritional profile worsens significantly.
Among the salted popcorn, the only rejected product was San Carlo’s “Love Pop”. The problem? The presence of monosodium glutamate, a controversial additive that strongly penalizes the overall quality of the product.
The worst category, however, remains that of sweet popcorn, real concentrates of sugars (from 34 to 53 grams per hectogram), syrups, artificial flavors and various additives. Although slightly less caloric – around 450 kcal per 100 grams – they still have worrying levels of saturated fat and salt. A 25 gram portion contains over two teaspoons of sugar, so we are talking about ultra-processed snacks to be consumed in extreme moderation.
Making them at home is worth it
Making popcorn at home can make a difference. Without oil, 100 g provides approximately 350 kcal, with a spoonful of oil it reaches 440 kcal. The real advantage, however, is being able to choose simple ingredients, limit salt and fat and have complete control over the quality of the snack.
How the test was conducted
The comparison of Altroconsumo examined 16 brands of popcorn purchased in the main supermarkets and discount stores in June 2025, carefully checking both the list of ingredients and the nutritional values reported on the label (calories, saturated fats, salt, sugars). The presence of additives and ultra-processed ingredients was also assessed, which negatively affects the final score.
The products were classified with a score from 0 to 100: the simpler and more natural the list of ingredients, the higher the rating, while the presence of sugars, saturated fats and additives lowers the overall nutritional rating.
