Okay, so the other day, I was getting ready to make some waffles, and I reached for my trusty cooking spray. I usually just grab whatever’s on sale, but this time I noticed the label said “PAM.” I’d heard of it, of course, but never really thought about what was in it. So, I got a little curious and decided to do some digging.
What I Did First
First, I flipped the can around and scanned the ingredients list. Honestly, it was mostly what I expected – some kind of oil, and then a bunch of stuff I couldn’t pronounce. I figured there had to be more to it than that, though.

Getting Down to Business (aka Googling)
Next, I grabbed my phone and fired up Google. I typed in something like “pam cooking spray ingredients” and hit enter. A bunch of articles popped up, and I clicked on one that looked pretty reliable.
What I Found Out
It turns out, PAM isn’t just oil in a can. It’s a little more complicated than that (though not too complicated, thankfully!).
- Oil: This is the main thing, obviously. It’s what keeps your food from sticking.
- Lecithin: Apparently, this stuff helps the oil spray out evenly and keeps it from getting all gunky. I’m no scientist, but that sounds important.
- Butane or Propane: Okay, this part sounds a little scary, but it’s just what makes the spray spray. It’s the propellant, like in hairspray (but don’t go spraying PAM in your hair!).
My Takeaway
So, basically, PAM is oil, something to make it spray nicely, and something to make it spray at all. It’s not some magic formula, just a few simple ingredients working together. I feel a little better knowing what I’m actually spraying on my food, even if it’s just a tiny bit. I used it. It worked and it tasted great!