Scientists Finally Settle the Debate on Whether It's Safe to Microwave Food in Plastic Containers
In 1945, an engineer standing near a magnetron device was jolted into a sudden shock as he noticed that a candy bar in his hands had melted into a caramelized puddle. Curious, he brought in a bowl of popcorn kernels near the device and was left scratching his head when the kernels started popping into puffy popcorn, per TED-ED. Fast forward to today, and microwaves are being used for all kinds of cooking, from whipping up potato chips to puffing up breads, buns, and doughnuts. Ricocheting straight from the Milky Way galaxy, microwaves are magical streams of electrical and magnetic energy that can resurrect an item of food into an object of tantalizing taste.
Plus, it does its job in the twinkle of an eye. “I put instant coffee in a microwave oven and almost went back in time,” American actor Steve Wright quoted. However, when it comes to heating food in the microwave, there’s one dilemma that has crossed homemakers’ minds time and time again. Is it safe to heat the food in the microwave in a plastic container? According to the World Health Organization, when used correctly, microwaves are not hazardous to health. But talking of plastic, it surely can interfere with the heating mechanism of the microwave and spill its poison into the food being heated. When exposed to heat, plastic additives can break down and leach into food.
"Some plastic isn't designed for microwaves because it has polymers inside to make it soft and flexible, which melt at a lower temperature and may leach out during the microwave process if it goes beyond 100 degrees Celsiou (212 degree Farenheit)," Juming Tang, professor of food engineering at Washington State University, told BBC. The Food & Drug Administration explains that a microwave works quite similarly to radio waves. When the magnetron inside the microwave ejects a flurry of microwaves, and these waves strike against the metal walls, the reflecting waves penetrate into the food item, triggering agitation in the water molecules. As the water molecules vibrate and collide with each other, the friction emits heat that cooks the food item, hot and delicious for the meal.
When a plastic container is used to cook the item, the process releases an unmatched toxicity that can seep into the food and stir up invisible issues for the eater. Scientists have found that plastics contain over 13,000 chemicals and an assortment of organic polymers that can leach into the food when heated at the high temperature of the microwave. “While it may be tempting to reheat leftovers in takeout containers, these containers are usually not designed for multiple uses,” Lisa Yakas, a microbiologist, explained to Eating Well. While this is not to demonize or discard the plastics altogether, but simply to understand that they might not always be a healthier way of heating the food.
Another evidence comes from a study published in Environmental Health Perspectives. During this study, researchers purchased more than 400 plastic food containers and found that most of them leaked chemicals that ended up in the eaters’ bodies while showing signs of hormone disruption and fertility issues. The chemicals also displayed a poor effect on their metabolism, blood pressure, and heart health. These plastic chemicals, called “phthalates” or “plasticizers,” are the same ingredients used in perfumes, shampoos, body lotions, nail polishes, hair sprays, and other cosmetics, per the Food & Drug Administration.
Ultimately, the answer to whether a microwave is best-suited for heating the food or not varies from food to food. Lead researcher Xianli Wu, a scientist at the Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, shared with the BBC that each food is different in terms of texture and nutrients it contains. And microwaving each food has its own advantages and disadvantages.