The large focus on moviegoers' percentages always goes to how much money each film makes, as obviously the success in the silver screen is measured through the box office; however, now health experts have pointed out to a much more serious concern health-wise, cinema popcorn's salt and sugar contents.
For decades, popcorn has been the ultimate movie-going treat, and it was from there that the industry further expanded to other categories such as its microwave version, but it has come out that cinema popcorn's salt and sugar contents, at least in the United Kingdom, are dangerous enough to require a health warning.
According to The Mirror, UK health group Consensus Action on Salt Health (CASH) created a new study on cinema popcorn's salt and sugar contents, and the results were staggering: besides the massive caloric content in the treat (225 grams of popcorn can contain up to 1,214 calories), the amount of salt and sugar is incredible.
The Telegraph reports that cinema popcorn's salt and sugar contents are thus: sweet version can contain up to 30 teaspoons of sugar, while the salty version can measure up to practically the entire recommended dose per day, approximately 2.5 grams of salt per 100 grams of popcorn.
For the salty version, that's pretty much the equivalent of two Big Macs and a portion of fries.
For the study on cinema popcorn's salt and sugar contents, CASH reviewed 154 types of sweet and savory popcorn throughout the country, as well as big brands and supermarkets, finding that approximately one in four had extremely high levels of salt.
According to The Daily Mail, out of the major movie theater chains in the country, Cineworld was the biggest offender, as a 200-gram pack of their popcorn (even their toffee one) containing the full 30 spoons of sugar, while their salty version contained 5 grams inside the 200-gram pack.
CASH asked that the recipes be changed to lower the cinema popcorn salt and sugar contents, but there has been no response as of yet.
