Herr's Puff'n Corn, Hulless, Original vs World's Puffiest White Cheddar: which is safer?

Herr's Puff'n Corn, Hulless, Original is our pick: better on PFAS and on the overall hazard picture.

Our pick

Herr's Puff'n Corn, Hulless, Original

Hurst

Herr's Puff'n Corn, Hulless, Original

PFAS grade

C 70/100

Overall grade

F 62/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 2

Material

paper/cardboard bag packaging, hulless corn snack

Confidence

72%

PossibleGrease-resistant bag coatings (potential PFOA/PFAS precursors or alternatives)

PossibleThermal leaching from paper bag during microwave heating

World's Puffiest White Cheddar

Trader Joe's

World's Puffiest White Cheddar

PFAS grade

C 70/100

Overall grade

F 58/100

Verdict

Buy

Hazard flags

⚑ 3

Material

paperboard / kraft paper bag

Confidence

72%

PossiblePolymer coating leaching (interior bag lining)

PossibleThermal bag degradation and particulate release

PossibleMoisture and mold growth (storage hazard)

Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →

More microwave popcorn: see the full ranking