Is it dangerous to heat food with plastic in the microwave?

Are you one of those people who likes heating food in the microwave? Practicality and saving time are two of the main reasons to use a microwave to heat food. Some people may have the habit of taking food out of the refrigerator and then cooking it straight into the microwave. Within three minutes, the food was ready to eat. But, is it true, heating food with plastic in the microwave is safe? Check out the following explanation.

Get to know the various types of plastic containers

Have you ever heard about how heating food using plastic containers in the microwave can cause cancer? Hmmm… Actually, this news is not completely true. The plastic material that is usually used as a container for heating food does not contain dioxins. This is because dioxins only appear when garbage, plastic, metal, wood and other materials are burned.

So, as long as you don't burn your food in the microwave, you won't be exposed to dioxins. However, is it still safe to heat food in plastic in the microwave?

Basically there is no single substance called "plastic", because the term includes many materials made from various organic and inorganic compounds. Before discussing further, it helps us to first get to know the types of plastic containers on the market. So plastics circulating in the market are divided into three types depending on their use, namely:

Plastics designed for household products
Plastic used to store garden tools supplies
Plastic which is specially made to store food and drinks that we consume every day.

Well, companies that make food storage container products certainly use different materials compared to companies that don't produce food storage containers that can be heated. So not all of the chemicals used to make plastic containers are the same.

Chemical content in food storage containers

There are several chemicals that are added to plastic food storage containers to form and stabilize the chemicals in them. However, there are generally two components in plastics that you should be aware of, namely bisphenol-A (BPA) which is added to make the plastic clear and hard, and phthalates which are added to make the plastic soft and flexible.

BPA and phthalates are often believed to be "disruptors of the endocrine system", both of which can interfere with the normal functioning of human hormones and can have adverse health effects. This is because BPA and phthalates can move to food when heated, especially in fatty foods such as meat and cheese.

In addition, if BPA exposure is exposed to pregnant women, it will cause disturbances during pregnancy. That's why the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prohibits the use of BPA in baby products and pregnant women.

Before producing heatable food storage containers, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires plastic container manufacturers to test them first using tests that meet FDA standards and specifications. Then the results of the test data were reviewed again before the FDA approved that the container was safe for use in the microwave.

Some of these tests are carried out to measure the migration of chemicals at several hot temperatures, which is to determine the resistance of the plastic container during use. And only plastic containers that pass the test can display the label "microwave-safe," or words that say they have been approved for use in the microwave.

So, is it safe to heat food in plastic containers in the microwave?

Generally, the "microwave-safe" label just tells you that the container will not melt when it goes into the microwave. But they are not necessarily safe in hot temperatures. Moreover, currently many companies claim to produce products that are BPA-free, but in reality they still include substitute chemical elements which turn out to be just as dangerous.

To prevent various dangers caused by using plastic containers, here are some things you need to pay attention to before using the microwave:

We recommend that you heat food using a ceramic or glass container that can be used in a microwave oven
Also, do not use plastic containers labeled "microwave-safe" that are scratched and have changed color. The reason is that this part can expose the chemical content in food.
Use a food thermometer to make sure the food has reached a safe cooking temperature.