Is it safe to warm up food in a microwave?

Microwaves are high frequency radio waves, are used primarily for TV broadcasting, radar for air and sea navigational aids, and telecommunications including mobile phones…In 1945, Dr. Percy Spencer, a grade school-educated engineer, thought up the idea for the microwave when he found that during his radar experiments melted a chocolate bar, in his pocket.

Microwaves swing back and forth at a frequency of about 2 billion cycles per second. During this process, they make certain molecules move, and once they’re moving, they’re hot.

Metallic materials totally reflect microwaves while non-metallic materials, such as glass and some plastics, are mostly transparent to microwaves. Materials containing water, for example foods, fluids or tissues, readily absorb microwave energy, which is then converted into heat. Water molecules are agitated by microwaves, increasingly vibrating and generating heat.

Microwaves enter food from the outside, and penetrate instantly into a chunk of food, heating and cooking as they go. We “all” enjoy the benefits of using the microwave for cooking and reheating foods in minutes, even seconds.

However, microwaves often cook food unevenly, thus creating hot and cold spots in the food. This uneven cooking occurs because the microwaves bounce around the oven irregularly.

Bacteria can survive in cold spots.

Microwaves also heat food elements like fats, sugars, and liquids more quickly than carbohydrates and proteins.

Extra care must be taken to even out the cooking so that harmful bacteria is destroyed.

At home, I don´t microwave my food… I prefer  to eat “live energy food” (one day I will explain this better). I even removed the microwave from my kitchen.

Have you given up on your microwave? Is there anyone who has never used one?

Share your experiences with me.

Be willing to learn more about Food and Food Safety – Be a Smart Eater!