California Jury Awards $25 Million to Man Who Developed Popcorn Lung From PAM Cooking Spray

Roland Esparza used butter-flavored PAM nonstick cooking spray in his home kitchen multiple times a day for years. Over time, he began experiencing worsening respiratory symptoms that doctors eventually traced to bronchiolitis obliterans, a rare and irreversible lung disease caused by scarring and inflammation of the small airways. The condition is sometimes called popcorn lung because it was first identified in workers at microwave-popcorn factories who inhaled diacetyl, the synthetic butter-flavoring compound.

Esparza filed suit in 2020, alleging that the butter-flavored PAM spray made by Conagra Brands contained diacetyl and related flavor chemicals that created inhalation hazards the company failed to disclose. By the time the case reached trial, his lung function had deteriorated to the point where he required supplemental oxygen around the clock and was on a waiting list for a double lung transplant.

At trial, TorHoerman Law attorneys Jake Plattenberger and Alan Holcomb argued that Conagra knew, or should have known, that diacetyl vapors released during normal spray-can use posed a serious inhalation risk to consumers. Conagra maintained that it had removed diacetyl from the product's formulation in 2009, but the jury found that argument unpersuasive. The panel held the company fully responsible for Esparza's injuries.

On February 4, 2026, the jury returned a unanimous verdict of $25 million, covering Esparza's past and future medical costs, pain and suffering, and loss of quality of life. Plaintiff's counsel described it as the largest consumer verdict in a diacetyl lung-injury case to date. Conagra publicly disagreed with the outcome and announced plans to appeal.

The verdict drew coverage from Bloomberg Law and Law360, both of which confirmed the unanimous jury finding and the $25 million award. No post-verdict reduction had been reported as of publication.