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Whether you’re using it to scramble eggs on the stovetop or whip up dinner in the air fryer, there’s a solid chance that cooking spray is one of your pantry staples. The convenient nonstick spray can be a lifesaver for quick cleanups.
However, according to claims in a recent lawsuit, one cooking spray in particular could cause permanent injuries.
Conagra Brands Ordered To Pay $25 Million in Pam Cooking Spray Lawsuit
A California jury recently awarded $25 million to a man who is awaiting a double lung transplant after alleged exposure to Pam cooking spray, which is produced by Conagra Brands, caused severe damage to his respiratory system.
In 2022, Los Angeles resident Roland Esparza sued Conagra Brands. The lawsuit alleged that the company negligently sold Pam products that were defective and potentially caused exposure to dangerous chemicals, including diacetyl, a butter-flavored chemical linked to respiratory illness.
After multiple years of litigation, the case went to trial this year. On Feb. 4, a jury awarded Esparza $25 million in damages after determining that Conagra Brands acted negligently and did not warn consumers about the risks of using Pam cooking spray, according to the Los Angeles Superior Court filings.
Jacob Plattenberger and Alan Holcomb, Esparza’s attorneys, stated that the plaintiff developed permanent injuries after using Pam regularly, including severe damage to the respiratory system, extreme shortness of breath, “significantly reduced” life expectancy, and a lung condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans, aka “popcorn lung.”
According to Plattenberger, 58-year-old Esparza is now on a 24-hour oxygen supply while awaiting a double lung transplant, despite his previously healthy and active lifestyle. “This unanimous $25 million verdict delivers long-overdue justice to Roland Esparza, once a highly active individual who now faces a double lung transplant after Conagra deceptively marketed their Pam cooking spray as safe,” the statement reads.
Esparza’s initial complaint stated he had purchased and used Pam’s butter-flavored cooking spray since the early ’90s. According to Esparza, he used the spray daily, and sprayed it onto a frying pan while standing over the stove. The lawsuit claimed that, by using the spray two to three times per day, Esparza was exposed to “hazardous food flavoring” chemicals, including diacetyl and acetyl propionyl. During the trial, Conagra said it removed the butter-flavored chemical from its Pam formula in 2009.
“We disagree with and are disappointed with the jury’s verdict,” Conagra said in a statement to Law.com. “Pam Butter Flavor cooking spray is safe and has been diacetyl-free for nearly two decades.” Conagra added that it intends to “pursue all available legal avenues to contest the verdict.”
While there have been a number of successful cases against microwave popcorn manufacturers from consumers suffering from popcorn lung, this is the first popcorn lung verdict against a manufacturer of cooking spray, according to Plattenberger. The use of diacetyl has decreased in many food products, but the American Lung Association warns that the dangerous chemical or similar substitutes may be present in e-cigarettes.
