PAM

PAM is a branded cooking spray whose principal product is a pressurized oil spray designed to reduce food sticking during sautéing, baking, grilling, and other cooking tasks. The brand is owned and distributed by Conagra Brands, a major American packaged-food company. PAM is associated most closely with canola oil, although its portfolio has also included sprays formulated to provide butter or olive-oil flavor, high-temperature applications, grilling, and baking. The brand was introduced in 1959 by Leon Rubin and advertising executive Arthur Meyerhoff through PAM Products, Inc. The name is described as an acronym for “Product of Arthur Meyerhoff.” Its aerosol format differentiated it from bottled cooking oils by allowing consumers to apply a thin and relatively even coating to pans, molds, and other cooking surfaces. PAM consequently became a recognizable household cooking aid rather than simply another edible oil brand. PAM’s consumer proposition has often been built around convenience, portion control, and reduced sticking. Its marketing has also emphasized a nominally zero-calorie serving. That claim depends on serving-size and regulatory conventions: a very short spray contains less than the threshold at which a product may be labeled as zero calories in the relevant jurisdiction, even though longer spraying increases the amount of oil and calories applied. This positioning made PAM particularly visible among consumers seeking alternatives to pouring oil or melting solid fats into cookware. The product line expanded over time. By the mid-1980s, the brand had added butter- and olive-oil-flavored variants. In 1992, its formula was changed to use canola oil, with the stated objectives of reducing saturated-fat content and improving taste. A baking spray containing real flour was introduced in 2003, giving consumers a combined release-and-flour coating for cakes and other baked goods. A grilling-oriented version followed in 2004, and PAM Professional, formulated for high-heat applications, was introduced in 2007. Corporate ownership changed several times during the brand’s history. PAM was connected with Gibraltar Industries and American Home Products before becoming part of the Boyle-Midway portfolio. When American Home Products sold its Boyle-Midway Household Products division to Reckitt & Colman in 1990, PAM was among the products retained by American Home Products. It later became part of American Home Foods. In 1996, American Home Foods was sold to an investor group and renamed International Home Foods; Conagra acquired International Home Foods in June 2000. PAM remains part of Conagra’s branded food portfolio. The brand has also faced product-liability litigation. In October 2023, a Pennsylvania jury ordered Conagra to pay $7.1 million in damages to a woman who alleged that a PAM can exploded in her face in 2017, causing second-degree burns. Reports at the time said that more than 50 similar cases had been filed. The litigation concerned certain 10-ounce cans manufactured from 2011 through 2019, including a U-shaped bottom vent design alleged to have had a lower heat threshold than earlier versions. The verdict represents a significant legal event for the brand, although it does not establish that every PAM product has the same defect.

PAM began in 1959, when Leon Rubin and advertising executive Arthur Meyerhoff established PAM Products, Inc. to market a cooking spray. The name is identified with the phrase “Product of Arthur Meyerhoff.” Unlike bottled oil, the product was packaged in an aerosol format that enabled consumers to apply a light coating to cookware and baking surfaces. Its central use case was preventing food from sticking while reducing the need to pour oil or grease directly into a pan. The brand’s early development took place within a changing corporate structure. In 1971, Gibraltar Industries merged with American Home Products, and PAM became associated with the Boyle-Midway portfolio. During the 1980s, the brand broadened its range beyond its core oil spray. Butter- and olive-oil-flavored versions were developed by 1985, allowing PAM to compete not only on release performance but also on the flavor profile associated with the cooking fat being substituted. In 1990, American Home Products divested its Boyle-Midway Household Products division to Reckitt & Colman. PAM was one of the products retained by American Home Products rather than transferred with the household-products division. It subsequently became part of the American Home Foods subsidiary. In 1992, the formula was changed to include canola oil. The change was presented as a way to lower saturated-fat content and improve taste, reinforcing the brand’s health- and convenience-oriented consumer positioning. Another ownership transition occurred in 1996, when American Home Foods was acquired from American Home Products by Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and C. Dean Metropoulos & Company. The business became International Home Foods. Conagra acquired International Home Foods in June 2000, bringing PAM into Conagra’s branded-food portfolio. Conagra remains the brand’s owner and distributor. PAM continued to extend its application-specific portfolio in the 2000s. In 2003, it introduced a baking spray containing real flour, intended to simplify the traditional process of greasing and flouring a baking pan. A grilling product followed in 2004. PAM Professional debuted in September 2007 for high-heat applications, reflecting the brand’s attempt to serve both household and more demanding cooking environments. A defining element of PAM’s marketing has been its nominally zero-calorie positioning. The claim is based on a very small labeled serving produced by a brief spray. Under applicable labeling rules, products containing fewer than five calories per customary reference amount and labeled serving may be described as zero calories. A one-third-second spray is cited as approximately 0.3 grams and about two calories, meaning the practical calorie content depends on how long the consumer sprays. The brand entered a major legal controversy in 2023. A Pennsylvania jury ordered Conagra to pay $7.1 million to a woman who alleged that a PAM can exploded in her face in 2017, causing second-degree burns. Reports stated that more than 50 similar cases had been filed at the time. The claims focused on certain 10-ounce cans manufactured from 2011 through 2019 and on a U-shaped vent at the bottom of the can that plaintiffs alleged had a lower heat threshold than earlier designs. This litigation became the most prominent publicly reported safety issue associated with PAM, while the brand itself continued as an active Conagra product line.

• 2023

  Jury awards damages in exploding-can litigation

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  A Pennsylvania jury orders Conagra to pay $7.1 million in a case involving an exploding PAM can and reported burn injuries.

• 2007

  PAM Professional launches

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  PAM Professional debuts for high-temperature applications.

• 2004

  Grilling spray launches

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  The brand introduces a product specifically intended for grilling.

• 2003

  Flour-containing baking spray launches

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  PAM introduces a baking spray containing real flour.

• 2000

  Conagra acquires International Home Foods

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  Conagra acquires International Home Foods in June, adding PAM to its branded food portfolio.

• 1996

  American Home Foods becomes International Home Foods

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  American Home Foods is acquired by an investor group and becomes International Home Foods, which later owns PAM before its sale to Conagra.

• 1992

  Formula changes to include canola oil

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  The brand changes its formula with the stated aims of reducing saturated fat and improving taste.

• 1990

  PAM is retained by American Home Products

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  When the Boyle-Midway Household Products division is sold to Reckitt & Colman, PAM remains with American Home Products.

• 1985

  Flavored sprays broaden the range

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  PAM develops butter- and olive-oil-flavored spray variants.

• 1971

  PAM becomes associated with American Home Products

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  Following the merger of Gibraltar Industries and American Home Products, PAM becomes part of the Boyle-Midway portfolio.

• 1959

  PAM is introduced

  [1]PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org

  Leon Rubin and Arthur Meyerhoff launch PAM Products, Inc. to market the cooking spray brand.

A convenient household cooking aid that provides a thin coating to reduce sticking, with variants tailored to everyday cooking, baking, grilling, flavor preference, and high-temperature use.

• Cooking spray · 1959

  PAM Original Cooking Spray

  The core PAM format is a pressurized cooking spray whose main ingredient is canola oil. It is used to coat frying pans, baking tins, molds, and other cooking surfaces so food is less likely to stick. The aerosol format emphasizes quick, even application and serves as an alternative to pouring liquid oil or applying solid fat.

• Flavored cooking spray · 1985

  PAM Butter and Olive Oil Sprays

  These variants were developed to provide the functional benefits of cooking spray while adding flavors associated with butter or olive oil. They broadened PAM beyond a neutral oil application and gave consumers a way to influence the taste of prepared food without using the corresponding fat in a conventional poured or melted form.

• Baking release spray · 2003

  PAM Baking Spray

  Introduced in 2003, PAM Baking Spray contains real flour in addition to its release function. It is designed to simplify the preparation of baking pans by combining greasing and flouring in one aerosol application, a particularly useful format for cakes and other baked products that can adhere to unfloured surfaces.

• Grilling cooking spray · 2004

  PAM Grilling Spray

  The grilling-specific variation was introduced in 2004 for use in grilling contexts. Its role is to provide a release coating on appropriate cooking surfaces while adapting the brand’s household spray concept to outdoor or higher-temperature food preparation.

• High-temperature cooking spray · 2007

  PAM Professional

  PAM Professional debuted in 2007 as a product for high-heat applications. It extends the brand into more demanding cooking conditions and is positioned for users who need a release spray intended for temperatures beyond ordinary everyday sautéing and baking use.

• 2023

  Exploding-can product-liability litigation

  A Pennsylvania jury ordered Conagra to pay $7.1 million to a woman who alleged that a PAM can exploded in her face in 2017 and caused second-degree burns. The reported litigation involved certain 10-ounce cans manufactured between 2011 and 2019 and alleged that a U-shaped bottom vent had a lower heat threshold than earlier can designs. More than 50 similar cases were reportedly pending at the time of the verdict.

  Source

Read more

• 2007

  Launch PAM ProfessionalProduct launch

  Background

  High-temperature cooking requires products formulated for more demanding heat conditions.

  Action taken

  PAM Professional was introduced for high-heat applications.

  Aftermath

  PAM broadened its range toward professional or heavy-duty cooking uses.

  Source

• 2004

  Introduce a grilling-specific sprayProduct launch

  Background

  PAM sought to extend its cooking-spray proposition to grilling.

  Action taken

  The company introduced a variation specifically intended for grilling.

  Aftermath

  The range gained a use-case-specific product for grill preparation.

  Source

• 2003

  Launch a flour-containing baking sprayProduct launch

  Background

  Baking often requires both greasing and flouring a pan, creating an opportunity for a combined preparation product.

  Action taken

  PAM introduced a baking spray containing real flour.

  Aftermath

  The brand expanded from general-purpose pan release into a specialized baking application.

  Source

• 1992

  Change the formula to include canola oilStrategy

  Background

  PAM sought to improve taste and reduce the saturated-fat content associated with its formulation.

  Action taken

  The brand changed its formula to include canola oil.

  Aftermath

  Canola oil became central to the brand’s product identity and its better-for-you positioning.

  Source

1. 1PAM (cooking oil)en.wikipedia.org