$7.1 Million Awarded to Woman Burned in Cooking Spray Explosion

Conagra Brands has been ordered by a jury in Illinois to pay $7.1 million in damages to a Pennsylvania woman who suffered severe burns when a can of Swell cooking spray exploded in a kitchen at her workplace. The verdict marks the first of several pending cases against Conagra involving burn victims who experienced similar accidents with their cooking spray brands. The company, which owns popular brands such as Pam, Marie Callender's, and Chef Boyardee, has refused to issue a product recall for the allegedly defective cans. The accidents are attributed to a venting system in the cans that releases flammable contents when exposed to high heat.