Man Wins $25 Million Lawsuit After Claiming PAM Cooking Spray Caused Lung Damage

 

A California man just won a major lawsuit against the parent company of PAM cooking spray.

A jury has awarded Roland Esparza $25 million in damages after he claimed that using PAM cooking spray caused him to have severe lung damage.

In the lawsuit, Esparza claimed his frequent use of the product resulted in him having bronchiolitis obliterans, which has left him with respiratory issues and shortness of breath.

Lawyers for Espraza argued that the chemicals diacetyl and acetyl propionyl in PAM spray caused their client’s lung damage.

A jury awarded a Los Angeles man $25 million in a lawsuit against Chicago-based Conagra alleging its butter-flavored Pam cooking spray caused a rare chronic lung disease that will require a double lung transplant. https://t.co/okTOO2gnkA

— Chicago Tribune (@chicagotribune) February 11, 2026

Per USA Today:

A California jury has awarded $25 million to a man who claimed exposure to Pam cooking spray caused severe damage to his lungs.

Roland Esparza of Los Angeles sued Conagra Brands, the maker of Pam, in 2020, claiming the company negligently sold defective products that could cause exposure to dangerous chemicals.

Esparza’s initial complaint stated he had purchased Pam butter-flavored cooking spray since 1993 and used it to cook for himself two or three times a day, regularly spraying it on a frying pan while standing over the stove.

Through his frequent use of the spray, Esparza claimed, he was exposed to “hazardous food flavoring” chemicals, including diacetyl and acetyl propionyl. As a result, Esparza said, he suffers permanent injuries, including severe damage to the respiratory system, extreme shortness of breath, “significantly reduced” life expectancy and a lung condition known as bronchiolitis obliterans.

In response to the jury’s decision, Conagra Brands stated, “We disagree with and are disappointed with the jury’s verdict. Pam Butter Flavor cooking spray is safe and has been diacetyl-free for nearly two decades.”

Conagra Brands has since signaled that it will appeal the court’s decision.

This isn’t the first time Conagra Brands has faced a lawsuit over PAM cooking spray.

In 2023, a jury awarded a Pennsylvania woman $7.1 million after a PAM cooking spray container exploded, resulting in her being severely burned.

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