You are doing your weekly food shopping at the local supermarket. You travel down one of the aisles looking for a healthy snack food for your family. You come upon a whole section dedicated to all kinds of popcorn. There is microwave popcorn, already popped popcorn, ready to be popped, new ways to pop, carmelized, cheddarized, low fat, buttered, unbuttered and suddenly you ask yourself: “Who is behind this variety of popcorn at my local grocer?” Well, believe it or not, it is the United States Government and an agency formed under the United States Department of Agriculture.
In 1995, Senator Richard Lugar (R-Indiana) proposed establishing a new government program:
“To enable processors of popcorn to develop, finance, and carry out a nationally coordinated program for popcorn promotion, research, consumer information, and industry information, and for other purposes.” -S.1336
His Senate Bill 1336 in 1995 established the Popcorn Board. Operating under the United States Department of Agriculture and its Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) the agency engages in research and promotional services for popcorn and its related products.
