Aurascan

Comparisons · October 30, 2026 · 9 min read

Orville vs Pop Secret: Neither Lists Butter as an Ingredient

Both Movie Theater Butter labels list natural flavor, not butter. Orville: 340 mg sodium per 34 g; Pop Secret: 270 mg per 25 g unpopped.

By Chris Carrillo · Reviewed by Armin Rad, Co-Founder & CTO, Aurascan · October 30, 2026

Every article is checked against primary sources before publication. How we review

Illustration of a bowl of puffed popcorn beside a pat of butter on a wooden board

Neither Orville Redenbacher's nor Pop Secret's Movie Theater Butter ingredient list names butter, and both list palm oil and natural flavor (including milk). Per 2 tablespoons unpopped, Orville's label shows 160 calories, 5 g saturated fat, and 340 mg sodium in a 34 g serving, while Pop Secret's shows 130 calories, 4 g saturated fat, and 270 mg sodium in a 25 g serving. Because the serving weights differ, each figure should be read against its own serving. This article lays the label facts side by side and leaves the choice to you.

Key takeaways

  • Per serving, Orville lists 160 calories, 10 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, and 340 mg sodium (34 g unpopped). Pop Secret lists 130 calories, 8 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, and 270 mg sodium (25 g unpopped).
  • Neither ingredient list names butter. Both list palm oil and natural flavor (including milk), and both list annatto as a color. Pop Secret also lists paprika extract as a color.
  • Sodium is 15% DV for Orville and 12% DV for Pop Secret. Under FDA guidance, both fall between the 5% DV low threshold and the 20% DV high threshold.
  • Orville's product page says the popcorn is made with 100% whole grain kernels. Pop Secret's page makes a 100% whole grain claim and says its dye and flavor claims exclude Caramel & Kettle Corn items.

Does Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter popcorn have butter?

No butter is named in the ingredient list for Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter popcorn. The SmartLabel listing names whole grain popping corn, palm oil, salt, natural flavor (including milk), rosemary extract (for freshness), and color added (annatto).

The milk declaration comes from the natural flavor. The label does not say what the natural flavor is made of beyond containing milk, so the full makeup of the flavor is not disclosed.

Orville's product page describes the popcorn as made with 100% whole grain gourmet popcorn kernels and sold in 3-, 6-, 12- and 18-bag packs. This article uses the SmartLabel ingredient list, updated May 27, 2025. Older online listings can show a previous recipe, so the package in hand is the best reference.

Does Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter popcorn have butter?

No butter is named in the ingredient list for Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter microwave popcorn. The listed ingredients are whole grain popcorn, palm oil, salt, natural flavors (including milk), rosemary extract (for freshness), annatto (color), paprika extract (color), and lactic acid.

As on the Orville label, the milk declaration comes from the natural flavors, and the label does not specify what those flavors contain beyond milk. Pop Secret's product page describes the popcorn as 100% whole grain and made with non-GMO corn.

The ingredient lists differ in two places. Lactic acid and paprika extract appear only on the Pop Secret list. Butter does not appear as its own line on either label.

How much sodium is in Orville vs Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter per serving?

Orville Redenbacher's lists 340 mg of sodium per 2 tablespoons (34 g) unpopped, which is 15% Daily Value. Pop Secret lists 270 mg per 2 tablespoons (25 g) unpopped, which is 12% Daily Value.

FDA's Daily Value for sodium is less than 2,300 mg per day. Under FDA guidance, 5% DV or less per serving is low and 20% DV or more is high, so both products fall between those two thresholds.

  • Orville: 340 mg per 34 g unpopped serving (about 5.5 cups popped), 15% DV.
  • Pop Secret: 270 mg per 25 g unpopped serving (about 3 cups popped), 12% DV.
  • Pop Secret: 65 mg per 1 cup popped (6 g), listed separately on its panel.
  • Orville: sodium per cup popped was not disclosed in the SmartLabel text.

Because a per-cup figure appears only for Pop Secret, a cup-for-cup sodium comparison cannot be made from these labels. For more popcorn and chip labels, see 5 Chips and Popcorns Scanned for Seed Oils.

These figures describe what each label declares. They do not show how sodium affects any one person's health.

How much saturated fat is in Orville vs Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter per serving?

Orville Redenbacher's lists 5 g of saturated fat per 34 g unpopped serving, which is 25% DV. Pop Secret lists 4 g per 25 g unpopped serving, which is 20% DV.

Both labels list 0 g trans fat. The two saturated fat figures use different serving weights, which differ by 9 g, so they should not be read as the same portion.

Pop Secret's package is labeled at about 3.5 servings per 3.2 oz bag. Orville's container holds three 3.29 oz bags and is labeled at about 7 servings per container. Package size therefore changes how many servings a shopper gets from one purchase.

Readers comparing saturated fat in a different food type can see Primal Kitchen vs Hellmann's Mayo: Is It Healthier? Same Sat Fat. People tracking saturated fat for health reasons may want to discuss targets with a clinician. This comparison does not assess how saturated fat fits into any particular eating pattern.

What colors are added to Orville vs Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter popcorn?

Orville's label lists one color, annatto, under color added. Pop Secret's label lists two colors, annatto and paprika extract, each marked as a color.

Pop Secret's product page says the popcorn has no artificial dyes, no artificial flavors, and no artificial preservatives, and it footnotes that the dye and flavor claims exclude Caramel & Kettle Corn items. No comparable dye claim appears on Orville's product page.

FDA's color additives information describes which colors are permitted in foods. The package label names the specific color each product uses. Online listings can lag behind reformulations, so the package in hand is the best reference for colors, sodium, and saturated fat.

Pop Secret vs Orville Movie Theater Butter: how do the calories and fat compare?

Orville lists 160 calories and 10 g total fat per 34 g unpopped serving. Pop Secret lists 130 calories and 8 g total fat per 25 g unpopped serving.

Orville's total fat is 13% DV, and Pop Secret's is 10% DV. Both labels list 0 g trans fat, 0 g total sugars, and 0 g added sugars.

Carbohydrate is 17 g for Orville and 12 g for Pop Secret. Fiber is 3 g (11% DV) for Orville and 2 g (7% DV) for Pop Secret. Both list 2 g protein.

These calorie and fat figures are per serving. Orville's serving is 34 g and Pop Secret's is 25 g, so the two servings are not identical portions.

Is Pop Secret popcorn healthy compared with Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter?

The label facts here do not establish whether either popcorn is healthy or unhealthy for a given person, so this article does not rate either one.

On the nutrition panels, Orville's serving lists more calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and fiber than Pop Secret's serving. Both products list 0 g added sugars and 2 g protein per serving.

Both brands make whole grain claims. Orville's page says its popcorn is made with 100% whole grain kernels, and Pop Secret's page claims 100% whole grain. These are company statements on product pages, not nutrition panel values. For another sodium label comparison, see What's in Bush's vs B&M Baked Beans? 570 vs 390mg Sodium.

People managing sodium, saturated fat, or a dairy allergy may want to focus on the milk declaration, which appears on both labels. Anyone following a medical diet should discuss portion sizes with a clinician or dietitian.

The labels cannot show how either product affects an individual, and no studies comparing these two specific products are cited here.

Do Orville or Pop Secret popcorn bags contain PFAS?

The product information cited here does not say whether either brand's bags contain PFAS, so the two bags cannot be compared on this point.

In February 2024, FDA announced that PFAS-containing grease-proofing agents for paper and paperboard food packaging, including microwave popcorn bags, are no longer sold into the U.S. market and that their authorizations were revoked. That FDA announcement covers the market, not these two brands. Shoppers who want to know about a specific bag can check the package or contact the manufacturer.

These regulatory facts describe the substances and the market. They do not measure exposure from eating either product.

How do you read these microwave popcorn labels for sodium and saturated fat?

Start with the serving size, then the %DV, then the ingredient line for milk and colors. The serving size sets the meaning of every number below it.

  • Check whether the serving is unpopped (2 tablespoons for both products here) or popped (1 cup, listed separately for Pop Secret).
  • Note servings per package: about 7 for Orville's three-bag container and about 3.5 for each Pop Secret bag.
  • Compare numbers only at the same serving: 340 mg for Orville is per 34 g, and 270 mg for Pop Secret is per 25 g.
  • Use %DV as a guide: 5% DV or less is low and 20% DV or more is high, per FDA.
  • Look for contains milk and natural flavor (including milk) if dairy is a concern.
  • Check the color line for annatto or paprika extract.
  • Read the bag in hand, since online listings can conflict with current packaging.

Label reading shows what is declared. It cannot show how much a person will eat or how a person will respond.

What does the at-a-glance table show for Orville vs Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter?

The table places each label fact side by side. Serving sizes are shown in their own rows because they differ between the two products.

ItemOrville Redenbacher's Movie Theater ButterPop Secret Movie Theater Butter
Serving (unpopped)2 tbsp (34 g)2 tbsp (25 g)
Popped yield per servingAbout 5.5 cupsAbout 3 cups
Servings per packageAbout 7 per 3-bag containerAbout 3.5 per 3.2 oz bag
Calories160130
Total fat10 g (13% DV)8 g (10% DV)
Saturated fat5 g (25% DV)4 g (20% DV)
Trans fat0 g0 g
Sodium340 mg (15% DV)270 mg (12% DV)
Sodium per 1 cup poppedNot disclosed in SmartLabel text65 mg (6 g)
Total carbohydrate17 g12 g
Dietary fiber3 g (11% DV)2 g (7% DV)
Total sugars / added sugars0 g / 0 g0 g / 0 g
Protein2 g2 g
Butter named in ingredientsNoNo
Milk declarationYes, in natural flavorYes, in natural flavors
Colors listedAnnattoAnnatto, paprika extract
Whole grain claim100% whole grain kernels (product page)100% whole grain (product page)
PFAS on packagingNot disclosedNot disclosed

To see what each ingredient on the bag in your hand does, scan its barcode with the Aurascan app.

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Common questions

Does Orville Redenbacher popcorn have butter?
No butter is named in the ingredient list for Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter popcorn, which lists palm oil and natural flavor (including milk). The label does not say what the natural flavor contains beyond milk.
Does Pop Secret popcorn have butter?
No butter is named in the ingredient list for Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter microwave popcorn, which lists palm oil and natural flavors (including milk). The list also includes paprika extract, annatto, and lactic acid.
Does Orville Redenbacher popcorn have PFAS?
Orville's PFAS status is not disclosed in the product information cited here. FDA announced in February 2024 that PFAS grease-proofing agents for microwave popcorn bags are no longer sold into the U.S. market, but that announcement covers the market, not specific brands.
Is Orville Redenbacher popcorn healthy?
The label lists 160 calories, 10 g total fat, 5 g saturated fat, and 340 mg sodium per 2 tablespoons (34 g) unpopped. Whether that fits a diet depends on the person, and this article does not rate the product as healthy or unhealthy.
Is Pop Secret popcorn healthy?
The label lists 130 calories, 8 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, and 270 mg sodium per 2 tablespoons (25 g) unpopped. Whether that fits a diet depends on the person, and this article does not rate the product as healthy or unhealthy.
How much sodium is in Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter popcorn?
Pop Secret lists 270 mg of sodium per 2 tablespoons (25 g) unpopped, which is 12% DV, and 65 mg per 1 cup popped (6 g) on its nutrition panel.

Sources

  1. Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter SmartLabel (smartlabel.conagra.com)
  2. Orville Redenbacher's Movie Theater Butter product page (orville.com)
  3. Pop Secret Movie Theater Butter product page (popsecret.com)
  4. Sodium in Your Diet (fda.gov)
  5. Authorized Uses of PFAS in Food Contact Applications (fda.gov)
  6. Color Additives in Foods (fda.gov)

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