62 A n s y v a n /A d o b e S t o c k
B C B U S I N E S S . C A
J A N U A R Y/ F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5
What do our social
media followers say?
61% 39%
SAY IT'S FINE TO POP
POPCORN IN THE OFFICE
SAY IT'S
NOT OKAY
POP POP
Our new column seeks to answer a few of
the disagreements you might encounter in the
working world. First up: Is it disruptive to
microwave popcorn in the office kitchen?
by Dani Wright
TIE BREAKER
Certain scents can be detected at lower parts per
million. Popcorn is one of them—that's thanks
to butyric acid, a chemical compound that's part
of dairy products like butter (it's also famously
present in vomit). Popcorn smell can be detected
by humans at 10 parts per million, which is why
the scent can feel so obtrusive. Because of that, I
believe you should swap your microwave corn for
the bagged, pre-popped kind when in the office:
that way, no one loses.
HOT TAKE #1
It's absolutely disruptive. We're all for heating up
your lunch, but popcorn in particular has a smell that
lingers for days (if not months), and adds its odour
to everything else your officemates try to microwave
during that period (and it's even worse when it's
burnt). Of course, that also means the kitchen itself
smells like popcorn, a scent that then wafts toward
unsuspecting co-workers at their desks. And the
sound of popping? Worse than a loud typer.
HOT TAKE #2
It's just popcorn—it's really not that deep. If we're
coming into the office five days a week, are we
actually going to restrict what our co-workers eat?
It's ludicrous to expect people to only eat sterile,
aroma-free food. And at the end of the day, the smell
of popcorn isn't exactly strong—it's just recognizable,
which makes people comment on it. What's so
different between that and heating up a piece of
chicken? That's what kitchens are for.
