What are the ingredients in Great Value flavored popcorn?

December 1, 2025 •

2 min read

The average American consumes a remarkable quantity of popcorn each year, often reaching for convenient pre-packaged snacks like Great Value's various offerings. Understanding what are the ingredients in great value flavored popcorn is key to making informed dietary choices, especially for those with allergies or specific nutritional needs.

Quick Summary

This guide details the specific ingredients found in popular Great Value popcorn flavors, such as extra butter, white cheddar, and kettle corn. It also highlights common base ingredients, preservatives, and potential allergens present across the product line.

Key Points

Core Ingredients: Most Great Value flavored popcorns contain popcorn kernels, a mix of vegetable oils (like canola, palm, or corn), and salt.
Flavor Specifics: The flavoring ingredients differ by product, with extra butter using actual butter and natural flavors, and white cheddar using a cheese powder blend.
Preservatives: Antioxidants and preservatives such as rosemary extract and ascorbic acid are often added to maintain freshness, especially in microwaveable bags.
Allergen Warnings: Common allergens such as milk and soy are present in many flavors, and cross-contamination warnings for nuts and wheat are also frequently listed.
Kettle Corn's Simplicity: The kettle corn flavor features a simpler ingredient list, primarily consisting of popcorn, sugar, vegetable oil, and salt.
Gluten-Free Status: Many flavors, particularly the microwave varieties, are labeled as gluten-free, though cross-contamination risk still exists for other allergens.

Common Base Ingredients in Great Value Popcorn

Many Great Value flavored popcorn products share core ingredients before flavorings are added. These typically include 100% whole grain popping corn, a blend of vegetable oils such as palm oil for microwave types or canola, corn, and/or sunflower oil for pre-popped bags, and salt. To extend shelf life, preservatives and antioxidants like rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, mixed tocopherols, and citric acid may be present.

Ingredients by Flavor

Extra Butter Flavored Microwave Popcorn

This flavor aims for a classic taste with ingredients like popcorn, palm oil, salt, and natural flavors. It also includes rosemary extract and ascorbic acid for freshness, added color, and actual butter (cream, salt).

White Cheddar Flavored Popcorn

This pre-popped option uses popcorn, vegetable oil (sunflower, canola, and/or corn oil), and a white cheddar seasoning blend. The seasoning contains cheddar cheese, whey, butter, nonfat dry milk, buttermilk, natural flavors, lactic acid, and yeast extract. Mixed tocopherols and ascorbyl palmitate are added for freshness, along with salt.

Caramel Flavored Popcorn

A sweet snack made with corn syrup, popcorn, high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, molasses, salt, soy lecithin, oil (canola, palm, and/or soybean), and natural and artificial flavor.

Kettle Corn

This sweet and salty flavor contains popcorn, sugar, vegetable oil (canola, corn, and/or sunflower oil), and salt.

Allergens and Cross-Contamination Warnings

Consumers with allergies should be aware of potential allergens. Many flavors contain milk, particularly the dairy-based options. Soy may also be present, especially where soy lecithin or soybean oil are used. While not always direct ingredients, cross-contamination warnings for tree nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans) and wheat are common due to shared manufacturing equipment.

Ingredient Comparison Table: Popular Great Value Popcorn Flavors


Ingredient	Extra Butter Microwave	White Cheddar (Pre-popped)	Kettle Corn (Pre-popped)
Popcorn	Yes	Yes	Yes
Oil	Palm Oil	Canola, Corn, Sunflower Oil	Canola, Corn, Sunflower Oil
Salt	Yes	Yes	Yes
Natural Flavors	Yes	Yes	No
Artificial Flavors	No	No	Yes
Sugar	No	No	Yes
Dairy	Yes (Butter, Cream)	Yes (Cheddar, Whey, Buttermilk)	May contain traces
Preservatives	Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid	Mixed Tocopherols, Ascorbyl Palmitate	No specific preservatives listed

Conclusion

Understanding what are the ingredients in great value flavored popcorn reveals a variation in composition across different flavors, built upon core components like popcorn, oil, and salt. The specific flavorings, from dairy blends in Extra Butter and White Cheddar to sugar in Kettle Corn, define each product's taste. For individuals with allergies or dietary restrictions, carefully reviewing product labels for specific ingredients and potential cross-contamination warnings is crucial for a safe snacking experience. For detailed information, always refer to the packaging or the retailer's official website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, many Great Value popcorn products, including the microwave varieties, are labeled as gluten-free. However, individuals with celiac disease should always check the label for potential cross-contamination warnings, as some facilities handle wheat.

Yes, many Great Value flavored popcorn varieties contain dairy. The Extra Butter and White Cheddar flavors, for instance, explicitly list milk, butter, and cheese ingredients.

The type of oil can vary by product. For microwave popcorn, palm oil is commonly used. Pre-popped versions, like white cheddar and kettle corn, often use a blend of canola, corn, and/or sunflower oil.

It depends on the flavor. The Extra Butter microwave popcorn lists "Natural Flavors" and "Color Added". Some products, like Kettle Corn, are advertised as having no artificial flavors or colors, while other combo packs might contain both natural and artificial flavors.

Yes, many Great Value popcorn products contain preservatives or antioxidants to maintain freshness. Common examples include rosemary extract, ascorbic acid, and mixed tocopherols.

The seasoning for Great Value white cheddar popcorn is a blend of various dairy products and natural flavors. It includes real cheddar cheese, whey, buttermilk, and other ingredients like lactic acid and yeast extract.

Consumers with nut allergies should exercise caution. While ingredients lists may not include nuts, many Great Value popcorn packages carry a warning that they "May contain traces of almonds, cashews, pecans, wheat and soy" due to potential cross-contamination during manufacturing.