That's why foods that are high in water content, like fresh vegetables, can be cooked more quickly than other foods. Although heat is produced directly in the food, microwave ovens do not cook food from the "inside out. Microwave cooking can be more energy efficient than conventional cooking because foods cook faster and the energy heats only the food, not the whole oven compartment.
Microwave cooking does not reduce the nutritional value of foods any more than conventional cooking. In fact, foods cooked in a microwave oven may keep more of their vitamins and minerals, because microwave ovens can cook more quickly and without adding water. Glass, paper, ceramic, or plastic containers are used in microwave cooking because microwaves pass through these materials. Although such containers cannot be heated by microwaves, they can become hot from the heat of the food cooking inside.
Some plastic containers should not be used in a microwave oven because they can be melted by the heat of the food inside. Generally, metal pans or aluminum foil should also not be used in a microwave oven, as the microwaves are reflected off these materials causing the food to cook unevenly and possibly damaging the oven. The instructions that come with each microwave oven indicate the kinds of containers to use. They also cover how to test containers to see whether or not they can be used in microwave ovens.
The FDA received reports in the past of serious skin burns or scalding injuries around people's hands and faces as a result of hot water erupting out of a cup after it had been overheated in a microwave oven. Super-heated water water heated past its boiling temperature does not appear to be boiling and occurs when water is heated by itself in a clean cup.
If super-heating has occurred, a slight disturbance or movement such as picking up the cup, or pouring in a spoon full of instant coffee, may result in a violent eruption with the boiling water exploding out of the cup.
Adding substances such as instant coffee or sugar before heating greatly reduces this risk. Users should closely follow the precautions and recommendations provided in the microwave oven instruction manuals, specifically regarding heating times. Users should make sure that they do not exceed the recommended heating times when determining the best time settings to heat water to the desired temperature.
Through its Center for Devices and Radiological Health CDRH , the FDA sets and enforces standards of performance for electronic products to assure that radiation emissions do not pose a hazard to public health. A Federal standard 21 CFR This limit is far below the level known to harm people. Microwave energy also decreases dramatically as you move away from the source of radiation.
The standard also requires all ovens to have two independent interlock systems that stop the production of microwaves the moment the latch is released or the door is opened.
In addition, a monitoring system stops oven operation in case one or both of the interlock systems fail. All ovens must have a label stating that they meet the safety standard. In addition, the FDA requires that all ovens have a label explaining precautions for use. This requirement may be dropped if the manufacturer has proven that the oven will not exceed the allowable leakage limit even if used under the conditions cautioned against on the label. To make sure the standard is met, FDA tests microwave ovens in its own laboratory.
The FDA also evaluates manufacturers' radiation testing and quality control programs at their factories. Is Microwave Radiation Harmful? Are these myths? Are we worrying about nothing? Or is there some truth to these? By the end of this article, we will have addressed each of these concerns. Do microwaves destroy beneficial nutrients? Does this mean that we should avoid microwaving our vegetables? Not necessarily. What about omega 3 in fish? Are microwave containers risky?
Does microwave radiation make foods radioactive? But is this true? What is radiation? Have you ever thought about what radiation actually is? Have you ever had an x-ray? Ever used a sunbed? Also radiation. Your mobile phone gives off radiation, as do computers, heaters, and radios. Firstly, it is important to understand how a microwave works. How do microwaves work? What does this mean? So, is microwave radiation harmful? But is there any good evidence to support this theory?
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None of the content on this page and website may be reproduced, copied or altered without our explicit permission. Electromagnetic radiation takes different forms, including radio waves, visible light, X-rays and gamma-rays. Microwaves, like radio waves, are a type of of "non-ionizing radiation," meaning they don't have enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms, the FDA says.
In contrast, X-rays and gamma-rays are classified as "ionizing radiation," a type that does have enough energy to remove electrons from atoms and can damage cells and DNA.
Even though microwaves don't pose the same health risks as X-rays, that doesn't mean they are risk-free. Microwaves heat food by causing water molecules to vibrate, which produces heat. In theory, microwaves can heat body tissues in the same way they heat food, and at high levels, microwaves can cause burns and cataracts , according to the FDA.
But these types of injuries are very rare and have generally occurred when people are exposed to large amounts of radiation leaking through openings in the oven, such as gaps in the seal, the FDA says.
What's more, the FDA requires microwaves to be designed in a certain way to prevent these types of radiation leaks. For example, the FDA requires that microwave ovens have two interlock systems that halt the production of microwaves the moment the door is opened. And the agency requires that these ovens have a monitoring system that stops the device from operating if one of the interlock systems fail.
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