 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
By Debbie Botzek-Linn, University of Minnesota Extension
ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/14/2008) — When cooking or reheating food in the microwave, select glass, ceramic or plastics that are labeled for microwave oven use. If you are not sure if pottery or dinnerware is microwave safe, place the empty container in the microwave alongside a cup of water in a glass measuring cup and microwave on high for one minute. If the dish remains cool, it is safe to microwave. If the dish gets warm or hot to the touch, do not use.
Margarine tubs and whipped topping bowls are not meant for microwave use as they can warp or melt from hot food, possibly causing harmful chemicals to get into the food. Do not use carry-out containers from restaurants or plastic foam for the same reason. Foam-insulated trays and plastic wraps on fresh meats are also not intended for the microwave oven. Be sure to discard containers that hold prepared microwavable meals after you use them because they are meant for one-time use.
Not all plastic is alike. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only approves certain plastics for use in the microwave. Prior to approval of any plastic materials, the FDA conducts tests to ensure that hazardous substances won’t leak into food. Only containers that pass the FDA’s test and display a microwave-safe icon, or that have a sentence on the product that confirms they’re approved for use in microwave ovens, are truly safe.
Take care that plastic wraps do not touch food directly when used to cover a dish being microwaved. Many wraps melt even at low temperatures. Read the package label as several brands of plastic wrap identify if they are safe for use in the microwave.
Wax paper, oven cooking bags, parchment paper and white microwave paper towels are safe to use. Never use brown paper or plastic grocery bags, newspapers, aluminum foil, paper towels with recycled fibers containing dyes or chemicals, or thin plastic storage bags in the microwave.
Any use of this article must include the byline or following credit line:
Debbie Botzek-Linn is a food science educator with University of Minnesota Extension.
NOTE: News releases were current as of the date of issue. If you have a question on older releases, use the news release search (upper left-hand column of the News main page) or the main Extension search (upper right of this page) to locate more recent information.
