Now owned by Omaha, Neb. -based food conglomerate ConAgra, Orville Redenbacher Gourmet Popcorn still relies on Indiana for much of its production. About a third of the 60,000 to 70,000 acres planted with popcorn in Indiana every year are growing for the Orville Redenbacher brand.

popcorn Orville Clarence Redenbacher (July 16, 1907 – September 19, 1995) was an American food scientist and businessman most often associated with the brand of popcorn that bears his name which is now owned by Conagra Brands.

Whole Grain Popping Corn, Palm Oil, Salt, Butter, Color Added (Annatto, Turmeric, Paprika), Natural Flavors, Mixed Tocopherols (Vitamin E for Freshness).

Orville Redenbacher's

Since popcorn comes from corn, specifically the zea mays everta variety, popcorn was never really “invented” by man, however there is evidence of popcorn all throughout the history of the Americas. The oldest popcorn known to date was found in New Mexico.

Orville Redenbacher was born on a farm in Brazil, Indiana, in 1907. At 12, he began to grow and peddle his own popping corn, which allowed him to save money for college. He graduated from Perdue University with a degree in agronomy and as a member of Alpha Gamma Rho, an agriculture-oriented fraternity.

By 1965, Orville and his business partner Charles Bowman perfect their popcorn hybrid - it is light and fluffy, leaves hardly any unpopped kernels, achieves a 44:1 ratio in volume of popped to unpopped corn, and, of course, tastes great.

Orville Redenbacher's Original Yellow Gourmet Popcorn Kernels are the highest quality for popping on the stovetop, in your air popper, or in an electric popper. These 100% natural, Non-GMO Project Verified whole-grain and gluten-free original popcorn kernels are a delicious, yet wholesome snack.

By the mid 1970s, Redenbacher and Bowman had captured a third of the unpopped popcorn market. According to industry estimates, the brand, still the national leader in the $1 billion annual popcorn market, accounts for about 45 percent of the microwave market. These amazing successes are not all coming from luck.

The First Popped Corn Corn was probably cultivated as a domesticated crop around 9,000 years ago, but it wasn't until 2012 that archaeologists unearthed the first evidence of popcorn in Peru: 6,700-year-old corn cobs studded with puffed kernels.

Fun Facts About Popcorn

• Popcorn is over 5000 years old.
• The first commercial popcorn machine was invented by Charles Cretors in 1885.
• Nebraska produces the most popcorn in America, around 250 million pounds per year.
• Microwaveable popcorn was invented by Pillsbury in 1982.

Microwave popcorn was first discovered in 1945. Perry Spencer discovered that popcorn would pop when placed near a microwave. Mr. Spencer led the way to development of the microwave oven.

In 1952, Orville Redenbacher hand selected a small group of family farmers to grow his exclusive kernel. Generations later, farmers like Richard Overmyer continue to grow that same special kernel that pops up lighter and fluffier than ordinary popcorn. Because your family deserves the very best.

What is Popcorn? Popcorn is a whole grain maize product. It resembles corn-on-the-cob in appearance and cultivation, although only popcorn kernels have the ability to pop. Popcorn, like all six types of corn, is a cereal grain and originates from a wild grass.

Popcorn is actually a special variety of corn, and it is the only one that pops. The key to popcorn is the unique design of its kernels. Most importantly, its kernel consists of a very hard, mostly nonporous outer shell called pericarp.

In addition to being high in fiber, popcorn also contains phenolic acids, a type of antioxidant. In addition, popcorn is a whole grain, an important food group that may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension in humans. Whole grains are known to offer many health benefits to humans.