#Food 🍲 🍱 🥘 Safety

[xtruss]

Should You Be Concerned About Your Microwave?

Though There are Isolated and Rare Cases of Radiation Injury From Microwave Use, Experts Say They Emit Less Electromagnetic Radiation Than Candles.

— ByChristine MacIntyre | May 21, 2024

Microwave ovens have been a kitchen staple since the 1970s and the rise of the frozen dinner. Although some people may worry about the radiation, experts say they pose no threat—unlike those ultra-processed meals we typically heat up in them. Photograph By Peter Finch, Getty Images

Microwave ovens have long been a staple in kitchens worldwide, revolutionizing the way people cook and consume food. However, a small but growing movement is going microwave-free, driven by health risks and food quality concerns.

Conversations on social media platforms reveal a sentiment that microwaves are unsafe. Individuals, confident in the health benefits of going microwave-free, share their personal experiences in testimonials often accompanied by sentiments like “I’ve never looked back.” Some claim that microwave cooking depletes food of nutrients and harms health.

But are these concerns legitimate?

Microwave ovens rely on a unique form of non-ionizing radiation, known as “microwaves,” that are distinct from the ionizing radiation found in x-rays and other high-energy sources. According to Christopher Baird, a physicist at West Texas A&M University who specializes in electromagnetics, the microwaves in our kitchens are a form of electromagnetic radiation similar to radio waves.

“It’s exceedingly rare for a microwave oven to malfunction badly enough to harm a nearby human,” Baird says. “Even in those exceedingly rare cases, no damage is done beyond burns and surface nerve damage.”

The Inception of The Microwave

Microwave ovens are a staple in American kitchens, but that wasn't always the case. Microwave ovens were initially conceived by Percy Spencer in 1945 after he observed heat-generating microwaves emitted by a magnetron during a radar experiment. His first attempt at converting this to a kitchen tool was colossal, towering at around six feet and weighing over 750 pounds—a far cry from modern models.

When wartime technology was adapted for domestic use following WWII, it resulted in smaller, more user-friendly microwave ovens in American kitchens. Subsequently, the ‘70s saw a notable shift in American eating habits. Food companies increasingly catered to busy families and individuals or those who preferred not to cook, expanding their offerings to frozen, microwavable dinners and snacks—a trend that increased Americans' dependence on prepared, convenient foods.

Today, ready-to-enjoy dinners from lasagna to chicken pot pie provide budget-friendly, single-serve meals in a matter of minutes—the frozen foods market witnessed $72.2 billion in sales in 2022, with frozen meals alone accounting for $25.8 billion.

Microwave ovens inhabit 96 percent of American households, according to an Energy Information Administration Residential Energy Consumption Survey, with 99 percent of those households using the appliance at least once every week.

Fast-paced lifestyles beckoning convenient solutions such as microwavable foods drives market growth in an industry set to surpass 230 million by 2031, according to market research.

While the microwave itself doesn’t present a health risk, ultra-processed foods like ready-to-eat frozen dinners have known health issues.

How Do Microwaves Work?

Microwaves exist on a low- to high-frequency spectrum, according to NASA, and make modern technology like radio, text messaging, x-rays, and GPS possible.

The heart of a microwave oven lies in its magnetron tube, which generates these microwaves. Once produced, they bounce off the oven's metallic interior, creating a highly controlled cooking environment. When microwaves encounter water molecules, they induce rapid vibration within these molecules, generating friction as they jostle against one another. This friction, in turn, creates heat, or thermal energy, effectively warming up the food.

Microwaves primarily cook food from the outside in. Foods with a higher water content, such as fresh vegetables, tend to cook more quickly because microwave radiation easily heats water.

Ionizing radiation alters atoms and molecules and damages cells in organic matter, whereas non-ionizing radiation merely causes heating via thermal energy. Because non-ionizing radiation emits less energy than even visible light and doesn’t alter the atoms and molecules inside our body, it can safely be used inside the home, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“If the microwave radiation used in microwave ovens somehow toxified the food it cooked, then the radio waves continuously being emitted by the household Wi-Fi router would be toxifying all of the food in the house in the same way,” says Baird. He emphasizes that neither of these concerns are valid.

Even candlelight has more electromagnetic waves than microwave ovens. Logically, “people would need to be more worried about candlelight” if such claims about microwaves were accurate, says Baird.

The FDA acknowledges the existence of isolated and rare cases of radiation injury linked to microwave oven use, mainly due to issues like a broken microwave seal.

“High-energy electromagnetic waves can induce significant electric currents in nerves, potentially causing burns and damage,” says Baird. He cites rare instances where malfunctioning microwave ovens have caused nerve damage in individuals reaching into or near the oven.

The FDA says there is little reason for concern unless the microwave oven sustains damage that could allow microwaves to escape.

For safety reasons, the FDA advises against using certain plastic containers, metal pans, and aluminum foil in the microwave. Mounting evidence suggests that microwaving plastic, even those labeled ‘microwave safe,’ leeches harmful microscopic plastic particles into food.

Do Microwaves Harm Food?

Microwave heated foods retain moisture on the surface, preventing a desirable appearance, such as a golden-brown crust, from developing on certain foods. Nonetheless, the findings of a study published in 2020 emphasize the advantages of short processing times, low heating temperatures, and relatively low power levels, all of which prevent nutrients from being lost.

Some research favors microwaving and baking over pressure cooking and boiling methods for preserving vegetable antioxidants. Vitamins A and C, for example, hold up particularly well in microwaved foods. And microwaving raw trout causes quantities of vitamin K to increase.

One paper published in the Journal Food Science and Nutrition even found microwave ovens use less energy and water than other common cooking tools.

The International Microwave Power Institute also dispels a common rumor—that countries such as Japan and Russia banned microwave ovens due to radiation. There is no evidence supporting these claims, which went viral on social media within the last few years amid the rising interest in the microwave-free lifestyle movement—which continues unabated.

[bonzatrading]

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[melitaafterfeather]

Health and safety and food hygiene

Beards are not permitted in a kitchen can catch a fire

Long hairs are not permitted in the kitchen can catch a fire

Long nails are not permitted in a kitchen can drop filth in a food

I generally dislike man in a kitchen because of hairy arms

Ventilation and two fire exit doors

No hills shoes can trip and fall

Generally hills are forbidden in public settings working in a kitchen with children or handling hot plates

Slippery floors

Hazardous material

First aid

Fire safety equipment extinguishers fire blankets to cover the fire

Children young adults left unattended in a home should adhere to the same health and safety principles

Allergies became health and safety requirement

Handling ingredients separately on a clean surface

Label food for allergens

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[xtruss]

What's The Difference Between 'Sell By,' 'Use By,' And 'Best By' Dates?

Here's everything to know about expiration dates — and why they often matter less than you think.

— By Lauren Breedlove | April 4, 2024

A single egg in bowl with expiration date clearly visible. Photo: Ken Tannenbaum/Getty Images

It's the middle of the night, and you find yourself in front of the fridge. As you reach for the wedge of cheese or box of treats that lured you out of bed in the first place, you realize there's a tiny date stamped on the label. It's a "use-by" date. No, wait, it's a "sell-by" date. Or is that a "best-by" date? To add to the confusion, the date may not really matter all that much.

How to Understand Food Expiration Dates

Although dating food items is not required by U.S. federal law (except for infant formula and baby food), most manufacturers do it voluntarily. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), "For meat, poultry, and egg products under the jurisdiction of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), dates may be voluntarily applied provided they are labeled in a manner that is truthful and not misleading and in compliance with FSIS regulations. To comply, a calendar date must express both the month and day of the month. For shelf-stable and frozen products, the year must also be displayed. Additionally, immediately adjacent to the date must be a phrase explaining the meaning of that date, such as 'Best if Used By.'"

It's up to the grocery stores and markets to stock their shelves with the freshest items displayed behind or under the oldest products. For example, items like eggs typically hit store shelves just a few days after being laid, and cartons with the USDA grade shield are required to include a "pack date," which tells consumers when they were washed, graded, and packaged.

But that's a lot of labels — and oftentimes, food is perfectly safe to eat past its expiration date. Here's a guide to the most common expiration labels you're likely to see at the grocery store.

Use-By Date

Use-by dates suggest the peak quality of a product, and are not safety dates. According to the USDA, “With the exception of infant formula, if the date passes during home storage, a product should still be safe and wholesome if handled properly until spoilage is evident. Spoiled foods will develop an off-odor, flavor, or texture due to naturally occurring spoilage bacteria. If a food has developed such spoilage characteristics, it should not be eaten.”

Best If Used By Date

This label is strictly a quality date, suggesting when the product will have its best taste and texture.

Sell-By Date

This label indicates to stores how long a product should remain on shelves, and products are often safe to consume well after their sell-by date passes. In fact, according to the Institute for Food Safety and Health at the Illinois Institute of Technology, "one-third of a product's shelf-life remains after the sell-by date for the consumer to use at home."

How to Store Dairy Products to Keep Them Good As Long As Possible

Freeze-By Date

Think of this label as the "use-by" date but for freezing. Freezing most food products extends their life, and this date will tell you when to freeze an item at its highest quality.

Expires On/Do-Not Use Date

This label indicates that a product be ineffective after the date listed. Along with baby formula, baking ingredients like cake mixes, baking powder, and yeast may have this label.

When Can You Tell If Food Has Gone Bad?

If expiration dates don't always matter, how do you know when to toss something? Rely on your senses — if the product has an unpleasant odor or feels slimy, it may be spoiled and unsafe to consume.

It's also important to store and handle your food properly once you purchase it. For example, eggs should be refrigerated in their original carton and kept in the coldest part of the fridge (not the door). Once you open an item, its life gets a lot shorter. If you open a package of raw bacon, for instance, you have about a week to eat it before it could start spoiling, according to the FSIS.

Shelf-stable items that can be stored at room temperature, like canned goods (unless otherwise labeled), flour, and pasta, can be good for years, according to the FSIS. High-acid items like fruits and juices can be kept for 12-18 months, while low-acid items like canned vegetables or most soups are fine in your pantry for up to five years. For a more complete list of shelf-stable items and their life span, visit the FSIS Food Safety page.