4 Microwave Myths We Still Believe In Can Microwave Waves Kill Bacteria?

First oven

Microwave cooking was patented (patent number 620.919) and in 1947 Raytheon introduced the first microwave oven, the Radarange. It weighed more than 300 kg, was 180 cm high, had a power of 3000 W (almost three times more than modern models), was water-cooled and cost a lot of money back then – $ 5000 (multiply by 10-11 and get the equivalent price these days).

The product is clearly not a mass product. Initially, the oven was purchased by the same US Department of Defense – for quick defrosting of food in soldiers' canteens and in the kitchens of military hospitals. The owners of hotels and restaurants also showed some interest in Radarange, and installed them on ship galleys.

And what kills bacteria and other microorganisms?

One way to get rid of germs is to heat. Pasteurization is carried out at about 75 degrees Celsius, and this process gets rid of most of the microorganisms. If you boil the liquid for several minutes, then about 99% of the microbes will be destroyed. Reheated food has a high temperature, so it is understandable that bacteria and other microbes in it will not be good. True, anthrax spores can survive boiling, because they practically do not contain moisture.

However, it should be borne in mind that microwaves penetrate into food shallowly – a maximum of 2 cm, so if the food occupies a large volume, then a zone where microwave radiation simply did not penetrate, therefore, cannot harm the microorganisms found there. In addition, a 2017 study showed that while microwaves can kill microorganisms, bacteria that survive can develop resistance to various types of exposure.

Foods such as meat, if stored for a long time after being cooked without freezing, become a breeding ground for bacteria and other microorganisms. And if food has been stored for several hours outside the refrigerator, then it is recommended to heat it up in the oven. Failure to follow this recommendation led to an outbreak of salmonellosis following a public picnic in Juneau, Alaska.

For the Juneau party, two roast pigs were ordered from a restaurant in Seattle. One of the pigs was delivered late, and many guests took the meat with them to reheat it at home later. Most used microwaves for this.

Pork is the second most contaminating animal food source with Salmonella typhimurium

A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that 21 out of 46 people who microwaved meat developed salmonellosis, while those who used a conventional oven remained healthy.

Not so long ago, information appeared on the world wide web with reference to a 2007 study that using heating in microwave ovens can disinfect towels and sponges. This led to many fires, as some housewives began to put dry sponges and towels into microwaves. Later, additional videos had to be released, which clearly indicated that only wet sponges and towels can be disinfected with a microwave, while the processing time should be at least 2 minutes.

According to the CDC (USA) report, for 2019 the FDA does not approve the use of microwaves, both for sanitary purposes and for sterilizing medical devices.

Well, the question of housewives whether microwaves destroy bacteria and microbes should be answered – yes, they do, but the truth is not all. In general, it must be remembered that microwaves were created to heat food and drinks, so most experts recommend using them only for their intended purpose. And many materials should never be microwaved at all, as they can cause a fire or explode.

Microwave: what is it?

A microwave oven is a special kitchen electrical device, the main task of which is to quickly prepare food, reheat ready meals, defrost frozen food, etc. A microwave oven converts electricity into electromagnetic waves, commonly referred to as microwaves. Microwaves affect the molecules that make up food and cause them to collide, spin and vibrate. This converts energy into heat, which heats up the food. Have you ever had to quickly rub your palms together to warm your hands? This is exactly how the microwave works.

Water molecules are most actively influenced by microwaves. Microwaves also work well on fats.

The electromagnetic radiation produced by microwaves has nothing to do with nuclear bombs and nuclear disasters, because it is non-ionizing in nature. Ordinary light is also electromagnetic radiation, but it poses no danger to our health. Therefore, not all types of electromagnetic radiation can be called dangerous for human life. Non-ionizing microwave radiation is similar to the radiation from our smartphone, but, compared to mobile radiation, it has a greater effect.

The microwave oven is equipped with special metal screens, thanks to which the electromagnetic radiation is inside the microwave oven and does not come out. If you still cannot completely abandon the use of the microwave oven, then try not to forget about the precautions. To completely protect yourself, in no case look into the window of the microwave and do not press your face against it.

The greater the distance between you and the microwave, the better, because the negative effect of radiation decreases rapidly with distance. Therefore, the minimum distance between your head and the microwave must be at least 30 – 40 cm. And remember that the microwave door must be tightly closed. If you have an old or broken microwave in your kitchen, then you need to get rid of it as soon as possible. It is not necessary to buy a new model.

Can plastic containers be used to heat food in the microwave?

Plastic containers should be avoided, as they contain toxic substances that negatively affect our health and are unsafe for our body.

Bisphenol-A can be found in many plastic containers, which is a toxic substance and can provoke the onset and development of certain diseases of the thyroid gland, malignant tumors. This substance also causes obesity.

When a plastic container is influenced by microwaves, it heats up, and toxic substances that make up it can get into food. If you are not going to give up the microwave just yet, then under no circumstances should you reheat food in it in plastic containers, unless there is a corresponding inscription on them that allows you to do this.

How do microwaves affect our food?

When you prepare food, its total nutritional value will depend on the form of preparation you choose. Method, cooking time and temperature regime in this case are the main factors.

When you boil food in water, nutrients that dissolve in the liquid, instead of being ingested and benefitting the body, can simply leak out of the food and disappear. Cooking food using microwaves does not take much time and does not require a high temperature regime. Microwaved food tastes much better than cooked food.

Given the above facts, one would think that food cooked in the microwave would contain more nutrients than cooked or fried food. But this statement is not entirely true!

One study assessed the effect of cooking methods on the antioxidant activity of vegetables. Scientists have investigated how certain cooking methods (boiling, pan-frying, microwave and pressure cooking, conventional frying and baking) affect the antioxidant activity of artichoke, cauliflower, peas, zucchini, beetroot, garlic, green beans, peppers, celery, Swiss chard, carrots, etc.

The influence of the above cooking methods was examined using 20 vegetables as an example. After conducting a series of experiments, the researchers made the following conclusions:

• the only vegetable that retained a high ability to absorb lipoperoxyl radicals in all cooking methods was the artichoke;

• garlic, beets and green beans retain their antioxidant activity after most culinary procedures;

• Celery after cooking has lost 14% of its antioxidant activity, while the rest of the cooking methods positively influenced its antioxidant properties and increased their level.

Scientists have shown that the antioxidant activity of vegetables is best preserved after baking and microwave cooking. During boiling and boiling under pressure, the antioxidant capacity of vegetables is practically not preserved.

Another study was conducted to evaluate the effect of heating on the anticancer properties of garlic. The experiment showed that microwaves negatively affect garlic and its anti-tumor properties. Chopped garlic contains allyl sulfate compounds that actively fight malignant tumors.

Microwave microwave radiation

⚑ Garlic that has been in the microwave for 60 seconds and in a conventional oven for 45 minutes lost its anti-carcinogenic properties

If the results of two studies have not convinced you that the microwave is killing our food, then you need to check the results of another study. This time, scientists were evaluating how certain home cooking methods (microwave, steam, low and high pressure boiling) affect the phenolic content of the edible parts of broccoli flowers.

Broccoli inflorescences exposed to microwave radiation have lost:

• 97% flavonoids;
• 87% derivatives of caffeine quinic acid;
• 74% derivatives of sinapic acid.

Boiling under low pressure resulted in the loss of only 66% of flavonoids.

The research discussed in this section confirms the fact that microwave ovens negatively affect our food and harm our health.

The microwave oven also negatively affects the child's body. Many moms use the microwave to heat their breast milk. Experts strongly recommend that you abandon this, since the antibacterial substances contained in milk can lose their beneficial properties under the influence of microwaves. Milk formula should not be heated in the microwave, as some of the amino acids L-proline that make up their composition, due to exposure to microwaves, are converted into d-isomers, which negatively affect the child's body: they deform the nervous system and impair the functioning of the kidneys.

The sooner you stop using the microwave, the sooner you will improve your quality of life. Start taking care of your health now!

Temperature and power

Moderate heating of food in the microwave, say during defrosting, does not harm microbes. But if you heat food in an oven to a temperature of about 100 ° C, at which water boils, then most microorganisms will die. Some microbes can survive intense heating in a spore state. So, spores of the causative agent of anthrax lose their viability only after 40 minutes of boiling.

How does a microwave oven work

It's pretty simple. The phenomenon of heating by microwave or microwave (microwave) electromagnetic radiation (usually with a frequency of 2.45 GHz) of substances containing water, or rather its dipole molecules (positive at one end and negative at the other), is used.

Microwave, or ultra-high frequency (UHF) radiation is electromagnetic waves with a length of 1 millimeter to 1 meter. Note that these waves also exist in nature, they are emitted by the Sun. The wavelength in the microwave is 12.25 cm.

1 Microwaving lowers the nutrient content of foods

Any processing of food, including heating and cooling, leads to a change in their physical properties, chemical composition and nutritional value. Microwaved food will lose a lot of its nutrients only if it is cooked at too high a temperature or for too long. The right time to temperature ratio will help preserve the goodness and taste of the food.

Microwaving will not reduce the content of vitamins and other health-promoting substances. Foods cook faster, they retain beneficial chemicals, polyphenols and antioxidants even better.

Generally, cooking destroys vitamin C most in food during cooking. But this happens mainly during cooking, because water-soluble nutrients are easily washed out with water during boiling. Much less of this vitamin is lost in the microwave.

The researchers also compared cooking vegetables (cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, spinach) in the microwave, steamed, and in a pressure cooker. It turned out that vegetables cooked in the pressure cooker lost more insoluble dietary fiber, which is good for the intestines, than those cooked in the microwave and steamed.

2 Microwaved Foods Cause Cancer

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) are now among the best studied carcinogens. They are formed during cooking in protein-rich foods such as fish and meat, especially when cooked at high temperatures.

Moreover, the method of heat treatment significantly affects the formation of HCA. There is some evidence that microwaving chicken produces more HCA than frying and grilling or baking in the oven, but there is no evidence that regular consumption of microwaved chicken causes cancer.

Another study found that grilled fish had higher HCA levels than microwaved fish, and microwave-cooked beef was not found to contain HCA at all.

Defrosting and heating ready-made food in the microwave does not cause the formation of this carcinogen at all.

3 Plastic dishes are harmful to health when heated in the microwave

There are concerns that when heated in a microwave oven, some of the chemicals from plastic may enter food and increase the risk of cancer. But most plastic utensils are now specially designed to withstand high temperatures and be safe. These utensils have an icon indicating that they are designed for microwave ovens. The likelihood that such plastic will spoil food is minimal.

Before placing the container in the microwave, check if it has the appropriate safety mark on it. If not, reheat food in glass or ceramic dishes.

4 Microwaving Kills Harmful Bacteria

Any heat treatment significantly reduces the risk of food poisoning. The only problem is that when heating food in a microwave oven, the temperature is unevenly distributed. Having taken food out of the microwave, you probably noticed that it warmed up in some places, but not in others. This increases the potential risk of infection. Therefore, when heating in the microwave, remember to stir and turn the food so that it warms up evenly.

Above 60 ° C, most foodborne bacteria are killed. But the toxins they produce are more resistant to high temperatures. They can remain in food even after heating.

So don't rely on microwave cooking to magically transform spoiled food into safe food by killing bacteria. If the product goes bad, throw it away and do not risk your health.

Microwave saves bacteria

E. coli died for 30 seconds. processing a kitchen sponge in the microwave, and after 2 minutes. about 99% of all microorganisms died. Even microbes resistant to radiation and chemistry were killed

No, not every invention or research is suitable for immediate use in the home. What were the attempts to boil chicken eggs in the microwave. Speaking of the microwave … American researchers reported that kitchen sponges and towels can be sterilized in this very microwave oven. Within just two minutes, the radiation kills 99% of all bacteria.

Gullible Britons have already become the “victims” of this pseudo-scientific research. The result is a massive fire.

Only then did the scientists come to their senses and informed the whole world that the sponges and towels must certainly be wet: then the bacteria will safely die in agony, and the house will remain intact.

In general, it should be noted that it was not in vain that Her Majesty's subjects were seized with a passion for cleanliness and sterility in everything. The fact is that about 1.3 million people a year in England and Wales get food poisoning caused by pathogens, which in many cases breed on dishwashing sponges and kitchen towels. The source of these bacteria is found in raw eggs, meat and vegetables … However, according to scientists, most cases of food poisoning occur when people butcher chicken and then use an unwashed board to prepare, for example, vegetable salad.

According to experts, one square inch of a damp kitchen sponge can contain up to 10 thousand microbes, including such infections as Escherichia coli and Salmonella. The experiment, led by Professor Byton of the University of Florida, was simple: he immersed kitchen sponges in water contaminated with various pathogens, including fecal bacteria, viruses and other protozoa, and then placed them in the microwave for different times.

As it turned out, E. coli died for 30 seconds. processing, and after 2 min. about 99% of all microorganisms died. Even spores, usually resistant to radiation, heat and chemicals, were destroyed in just 4 minutes.

Sources used and useful links on the topic: https://ludirosta.ru/post/ubivaet-li-mikrovolnovka-mikroby_4293 https://zen.yandex.ru/media/popsci/unichtojaiut-li-mikrovolnovki-opasnye-bakterii-i chto—mikroorganizmy the ob-etom-govoriat-issledovaniia-5f23bc546440a772c5dcbf49 https://BestLavka.ru/kak-mikrovolnovka-ubivaet-nashu-edu/ https://Lifehacker.ru/4-myths-about-microwave/ https: //utro.ru/articles/2007/01/25/619964.shtml