Pam Cooking Spray ‘Popcorn Lung’ Lawsuit Ends in $25M Verdict at Trial

Commonly tied to the use of diacetyl in microwave popcorn flavoring, popcorn lung has also been associated with certain vaping products after research showed some e-cigarettes contain the same chemical.

A Los Angeles jury has ordered Conagra Brands to pay $25 million to a California man who developed a severe lung disease most commonly referred to as “popcorn lung,” which he claimed was caused by long-term exposure to butter-flavoring chemicals in Pam cooking spray.

Roland Esparza originally filed the lawsuit in 2020, claiming that years of daily exposure to fumes from butter-flavored Pam spray caused him to develop a severe and irreversible lung disease. According to the complaint, the aerosol product contained diacetyl, a chemical used to create a buttery flavor and aroma.

Esparza alleges that inhaling those fumes led to bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and chronic condition more commonly known as popcorn lung. The disease causes inflammation and scarring in the smallest airways of the lungs, restricting airflow and making it progressively harder to breathe. There is no cure, and in severe cases patients may require a lung transplant or face life threatening complications.

Popcorn lung first gained national attention after workers in microwave popcorn manufacturing plants developed the condition following repeated exposure to airborne diacetyl used in flavoring chemicals.

In recent years, concerns have also extended beyond food production. A 2015 study found that certain e-cigarette liquids contained diacetyl, raising alarms that some vaping products, including early formulations of JUUL and other brands, could pose similar respiratory risks.

Lawsuit Alleges Pam Spray Caused Lung Damage

After years of litigation in Esparza’s case, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury unanimously ruled on February 4 that Conagra was negligent for failing to warn consumers about the potential dangers of inhaling vapors from Pam nonstick cooking sprays, despite the company’s claim that it removed diacetyl from its formulations in 2009.

Esparza said he used Pam cooking spray multiple times a day for years, often spraying heated pans and standing over the vapors while cooking. His attorneys argued this routine exposed him repeatedly to chemicals that, when aerosolized and inhaled, could cause serious respiratory damage.

Esparza says his condition is so severe that he now depends on oxygen full time and is waiting for a double lung transplant.

The jury’s verdict indicates the product did not perform as safely as consumers would have reasonably expected, and that Conagra failed to adequately disclose those risks.

The $25 million award covers his medical costs, pain and suffering and loss of quality of life. Conagra has said it disagrees with the decision and plans to challenge the verdict.

Popcorn Lung Lawsuits

The verdict comes as medical experts continue to warn about the long-term prognosis associated with bronchiolitis obliterans.

In 2022, Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, director of the Tobacco Treatment Clinic at Johns Hopkins University, warned that many patients diagnosed with popcorn lung could die within five years of developing the chronic lung condition.

Similar concerns have fueled prior litigation, including a 2015 class action lawsuit brought against a manufacturer of e-cigarette liquids, which indicated that the company’s solution exposed users to diacetyl.

That same year, a worker from a microwave popcorn factory was awarded $2.6 million after exposure to diacetyl led to his bronchiolitis obliterans diagnosis, and the loss of 60% of his lung capacity.

Attorneys are currently reviewing potential popcorn lung lawsuits for individuals diagnosed with the illness after exposure to certain chemicals linked to the condition. To find out if you or a loved one may be entitled to compensation, request a free consultation. Cases are reviewed on a contingency fee basis, meaning no fees or expenses are owed unless there is a recovery.

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