Chocolate and popcorn- two of the best snacky-indulgences one can consume. Did you know that chocolate was the first thing to (accidentally) be microwaved? Percy Spencer, a self-taught genius researcher out of Massachusetts noticed a melted candy bar in his pocket during a scientific experiment in 1946. Intrigued, he placed a handful of popcorn kernels next to the ‘magnatron’ he was experimenting with and watched them pop and sputter across the laboratory. The microwave, then called the Radarange, was born!

Little did Mr. Spencer know, his discovery would soon be a favorite kitchen necessity. Across the world, over 30 million microwaves are sold each year. That’s a lot of microwaves!

Risks of Microwave Use

If you are one of the millions of microwave users, you should be curious about how your health could be impacted by their use. Basically, the waves of energy that bounce around in the cooking box are very possibly breaking down the items you place inside.

At our home, we have a variety of plastic and glass containers we use for storing food. We almost never use plastic wrapping like cling wrap for food storage, but I know that is also common. We try our best to only use our glass Pyrex bowls and ceramic plates when the microwave is needed. However, be it laziness or lack of thought, plastic containers do have a tendency to end up in our microwave. What is the best option for reheating food?

Glass and ceramic containers are the safest options to use in a microwave.

These materials are far less likely to break down into micro-plastic filaments that can seep into the food you are about to consume. Too small to be seen with the naked eye, people have no way of knowing when they are consuming these chemicals. The two chemicals that can cause the most harm in our bodies are called bisphenol-A (BPA) and phthalates (pronunciation, please?) which are added to to the chemical soup called ‘plastic’ to refine the texture and opacity. Plastic is kind of a catch all name for various chemical combinations that make up the different types of containers we buy and use.

If you look closely on the containers you buy, you will see a small number in the middle of the common three-arrow recycling symbol. The table below from Waste Management briefly describes the seven types of plastic we encounter and what types of products are regularly made from them. Specifically, we should eliminate the use of plastics 3, 6, and 7 in our microwaves due to their weak chemical bonds and heat sensitivity.

These two substances, BPA and phthalates, may also be referred to as ‘endocrine disruptors’. The human body has a system of glands, the endocrine system, that regulate our hormones, metabolism, reproduction, and growth. Children and adults can experience changes in their levels of estrogen and testosterone– have you noticed children are reaching puberty at younger ages? A study lead by Danielle Buttke at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that girls are having their first menstrual cycle at ages twelve or thirteen instead of the ages sixteen to seventeen which was typical a century ago. A 2012 study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that American boys are reaching puberty roughly six months to two years ahead of just a few decades ago.

The effects on a developing fetus may be even more severe with lifelong consequences. During development, the presence of BPA and phthalates can cause prematurity, harm to the brain and reproductive organs, early onset puberty and reduced fertility, obesity, diabetes and heart disease according to this summary by Time Magazine. Because of this, expecting mothers should do their best avoid eating or drinking from plastic containers. In 2012, the FDA officially banned BPA in sippy cups and bottles to combat these risks in children.

BPA Free… or not?

It is important to note that the label ‘BPA Free’ does not mean you are protected from chemical exposures. Brand new products are made of stable materials, but these materials degrade, crack, change color, and warp over time. If any of your ‘BPA Free’ products show these signs of wear and tear, it is time to replace them or understand that they are not fully functioning anymore and accept those risks.  A neurobiologist at the University of Texas conducted a study on 455 common plastic items and found that 70% tested positive for hormone disrupting chemicals. After these same items where subjected to normal wear and tear in the dishwasher or microwave, 95% were leeching harmful chemicals. This is the conclusion the researchers came to:

Almost all commercially available plastic products we sampled, independent of the type of resin, product, or retail source, leached chemicals having reliably-detectable EA [endocrine activity] including those advertised as BPA-free. In some cases, BPA-free products released chemicals having more EA than BPA-containing products.

Quick Tips for Safe Microwaving

• It is a best practice to transfer food in plastic containers or wraps to glass or ceramic containers when you are ready to reheat the contents.
• Do not microwave thin plastic, especially plastic storage bags.
• Cover your food with another dish, paper towel, or parchment paper instead of plastic wrap. If for some reason you have to use plastic wrap, try to avoid direct contact with the food and do not let water drip off of the film into your food. This water will have the dissolved plastics concentrated in it.
• Dinner tray and take-out containers are for single use only and should say this on the packaging: don’t use that frozen meal container more than once in the microwave!
• If your plasticware is scratched, discolored, or you don’t remember how old it is, it is time to replace it. May I suggest replacing with glass or ceramics? (:
• See more….

My best advice (and something we will be doing in our home after this research) is to phase out the plastic dishware you have and replace it with a healthier, more sustainable alternative! Your local thrift shop will have ceramic plates, mugs, bowls, you name it for dirt cheap that are often in great shape. Glass and ceramic dishes make excellent gifts and will be very appreciated by your friends and family, especially if you share some of you new knowledge! Microwaving may be hard to avoid, but we can take care of ourselves and our children by using safer and cleaner substitutes.

Go on, green up your home and clean up your diet! <3

Drifted Way