Frequently Asked Questions

Our friends at The Popcorn Board shared this: Popcorn is a wholesome, whole grain food which aids digestion by providing necessary roughage, also known as fiber. Health and medical associations regard popcorn as an excellent mealtime complement—sugar-free, fat-free and low in calories.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the federal government’s cancer prevention agency, suggests fiber in the diet to reduce the risk of some forms of cancer and the American Cancer Society says that eating whole grains as part of a healthy diet has been linked to a lower risk of some cancers and other chronic diseases. The American Heart Association says that when it comes to your health, whole grains are where it’s at. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests popcorn as an easy way to boost fiber in your diet. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research lists popcorn as a smart, low/no-sugar snack. The American Diabetes Association and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics permit popcorn as a starch exchange on weight-control diets, and the Feingold Diet for hyperactive children permits popcorn because it contains no artificial additives.

A NOTE OF SAFETY: While popcorn is a healthful and delicious snacking choice when prepared with low-fat ingredients, it is never recommended for infants or toddlers under 5, as the kernels pose a (choking) threat to their safety (American Academy of Pediatrics). Popcorn is a whole grain, and takes longer to digest and break apart.

All JOLLY TIME microwave popcorn and whole kernels (poly bags and jars) are produced in peanut and tree nut-free facilities.

JOLLY TIME ready-to-eat popcorn may be produced in a facility that handles peanuts and tree nuts.

All JOLLY TIME Pop Corn is grown regionally, right here in the United States. We select every special hybrid grown and there are NO genetically modified organisms in popcorn seed.

We grow all of our popcorn under contract with families and partners we know and trust and we monitor growth with our partners during the season to understand how the crop is going to perform when harvested.

Recently, the USDA has taken the regulatory authority role for labeling of finished food products using the term `Bioengineered’ in place of the word GMO. Popcorn is, under the USDA, still considered non-Bioengineered.

Check all of our product information here on our website for labeling in order to know more.

Many of our JOLLY TIME microwave popcorn products contain dairy ingredients (from milk, butter, and cheese). Where products are designed to contain these ingredients, they will have a statement of ‘Contains: Milk Ingredients’ right below the statement of ingredients on the package.

All of JOLLY TIME Pop Corn whole kernel products (poly bags and jars) are produced on dairy free production lines.

JOLLY TIME Pop Corn products are gluten-free. Whole kernel, plain popcorn is naturally gluten-free and we are committed to ensuring that all of our microwave popcorn and ready-to-eat popcorn products avoid ingredients that contain gluten as well.

We understand the complicated choices for those who suffer from Celiac Disease, and we want to provide helpful information for you. Gluten-free labeling is voluntarily added to our packaging for this reason.

This labeling means that ingredients have not been derived from wheat, rye, and barley or their crossed hybrids such as triciale, spelt, kamut, farro and durum or products like bulgar and semolina.

To the best of our knowledge, we can also declare that our products contain no ingredients derived from oats, which can be of concern to some who choose a gluten-free diet.

Please consult your physician or dietary professional if you have additional questions about popcorn and if it’s right for you.

Popcorn has a better than average net carbohydrate rating (the per serving grams of total carbohydrate minus grams of fiber) for grains due its high dietary fiber. That makes it a better choice if grains are a part of your keto dietary plan. Popcorn is a snack, however, and should fit into dietary planning with that in mind.

JOLLY TIME offers the most variety of microwave and ready-to-eat products of any major brand and these vary in ratio of carbohydrate : total fat, so you can enjoy your popcorn in a variety of ways to satisfy every craving when it is time for snacking.

We encourage you to discuss your dietary planning methods with qualified professionals, such as a Registered Dietician, or your family Physician.

Where our popcorn products require cooking before consumption, you will find they are labeled with two columns of nutritional values.

The nutritional values in the first column (the left) are based on an approximate amount of uncooked popcorn to be one serving; that is just over one ounce or approximately 2 Tablespoons and normally yields 4 to 5 cups of popped corn when cooked. The nutritional values in the column to the right represent the values after the popcorn has been popped and is divided into one-cup amounts.

On the product pages on our website, we have the popped, 1 cup nutritional information listed in the chart below the product description.

Cooking methods vary for whole kernel popcorn, such as air-popping, or stovetop popping with oil. Our nutritional information is provided on whole kernel packaging as air-popped for this reason.

For our ready-to-eat popcorn snacks, there are slight differences, such as a serving size is precisely one ounce as required for a prepared snack and the nutritional values are not declared on a per-cup basis.

However you enjoy your popcorn from JOLLY TIME, we hope you find this information helpful in making dietary choices that help you thrive!
For more complete information on dietary recommendations and all information contained in the nutrition facts, we recommend viewing the FDA’s website on nutritional labeling.