Popcorn makers go posh in bid to hit the organic snack market

FORGET butter-coated kernels in greasy microwave bags - popcorn has gone gourmet in a bid to burst onto the organic snack market.

FORGET butter-coated kernels in greasy microwave bags - popcorn has gone gourmet.

The salty cinema staple has turned posh as producers seek a slice of the lucrative organic snack market.

Popcorn now comes coated with sea salt, hand-popped in sunflower oil and served in a range of fancy flavours such as organic manuka honey and parmesan and rosemary.

But it also comes with a hefty price tag. While 375g of microwave-popping corn kernels costs about $1.20, a 12g bag of organic popcorn is $2.35 - that's about $195 per kilo.

Food Service Magazine editor Anthony Huckstep said demand for organic popcorn jumped because consumers were willing to pay for premium products.

"Our food culture has matured to the level that consumers are happy to pay a bit more for better-quality food," he said.

Tamarama's Laura Deasley treats twins Florence and Cassius, 5, to organic popcorn twice a week.

"It's got less salt and sugar than other popcorn," she said. "Popcorn is more appealing than other snacks because it's corn rather than chocolate."