Method of preparing reduced fat microwave popcorn

A method for filling a microwave popcorn bag with unpopped popcorn kernels coated with a fat and salt slurry having improved evenness of coating of the kernels with the fat and salt, comprising the steps of:

• A. providing a microwave popcorn bag having a sealed bottom end and an open sealable top end defining an upper orifice;
• B. advancing the bag to below a fill station means for dispensing unpopped popcorn kernels in a falling cylindrical cascade, and a means for spraying an edible fat and salt slurry, said spraying means being oriented to spray the slurry into the falling popcorn cascade and at an angle of about 0.degree. to 15.degree. relative to the cascade to form an intersection between the fat and slurry spray and the popcorn cascade;
• C. opening the microwave bag to have its upper orifice in an open configuration and to have a vertically aligned orientation;
• D. dispensing a quantity of unpopped popcorn kernels to fall in a cascade into the open bag upper orifice and concurrently spraying a quantity of fat and slurry into the falling popcorn cascade to coat the unpopped popcorn kernels with the fat and slurry while falling
• wherein the intersection between the cascade and the spray is within the bag;
• E. closing the microwave bag;
• and
• F. sealing the open end of the popcorn bag.