This topic was discussed previously in RG and researchers are divided in their opinion.

As the generation of heat is due to changing of polarity of the molecules, so I don't think anybody can guarantee that it is totally safe.

Side effects or toxicity of many such things are not identified by contemporary technology. In many cases, these are understood afterwards.

Do not forget - Discoverer of DDT was given Noble Prize for his great contribution in protection of mankind from Mosquito borne diseases!

Thanks.

If you want to know if the food becomes poisoned the answer is no. Microwave is just a magnetic field in movement. So, it passes through the food and forces the disoriented molecules to orientate themselves according the magnetic field. After that the molecules need to move back again and doing this they generate heat that heats the food. So, there is nothing left to poison the food except by the heat.

yes surely !

In fact, studies have shown that certain vitamins in vegetables are retained better in a microwave than by boiling. Why? Because the heating process is what destroys nutrients. When you use a microwave oven, the food is heated for a shorter amount of time, so there is less time to destroy nutrients.

Good question doctor

I think it's safe to heat food in the microwave

Different situation when it comes to cooking food.

• When you are not an expert in the use of microwaves for cooking, it is likely that foods are prepared incompletely with the risk of getting sick from toxins or microorganisms.
• If the food is exposed to microwaves in excess, it can be burned or dried and then some nutritional properties of proteins and vitamins are lost.
• Definitely, the preparation of vegetable foods in the microwave is not recommended. It is better to decide if you want vegetables cooked or grilled or "stewed". This, under penalty of losing vitamins and mineral salts of great value typical of vegetables.
• As for the health of the person who introduces, heats or prepares the food in microwaves, directly the transitory exposure and for short times, does not have greater risk

Amina and Ismail have opposite opinions to what José Luis says about cooking vegetables. The risks "of getting sick from toxins or microorganisms, for instance, when food is "prepared incompletely", in my opinion is the same when cooking at a normal oven. Same problems if you cook too much in both cases.

In fact, I believe the only risks are related to people exposition to the microwaves directly. It will burn as much as fire or as a hotplate.

Dear respected Hind S. Abdulhay,

Microwave is a non-ionizing radiation of low frequency and long wavelength which when expose to food item does not convert the food to radioactive substance or leave or produce harmful residue upon heating the food substance. This indicates that they are safe for cooking or heating.

Microwave oven must be used according to manufacturer's instruction manual or guide for the food to be safe and convenient for heating and cooking for variety of foods. The level of power rating to set the oven, the kind of food to be place in the oven, exposure time and other safety precaution should be check in the manual and comply with.

Working principle: When microwave are exposed to food item they vibrate the water molecules present in the food item and quickly build up thermal or heat energy. This elevate the temperature and make the food to cook faster than conventional method of cooking. This occurs as result of the vigorous vibration of the water molecules.

There is potential risk using microwave in heating or cooking piece of food with thicker outer surface. Microwave energy does not penetrate well in thicker pieces of food, and may produce uneven cooking. This can lead to a health risk if parts of the food are not heated sufficiently to kill potentially dangerous micro-organisms or pathogenic organism. Because of the potential for uneven of cooking, food heated in a microwave oven should rest for several minutes in the microwave after cooking is completed to allow the heat to distribute throughout the food item.

Microwave oven emits radiation which are non-ionizing radiation. The type of radiation that microwaves emit is harmless as long as the microwave oven is operated according to its design.

Health safety of the operator: the microwave oven must be well closed or sealed to prevent leakage of the microwave. Microwave energy can be absorbed by the human body and produce heat in exposed tissues. Organs with a poor blood supply and temperature control, such as the eye, or temperature-sensitive tissue like the testes, have a higher risk of heat damage. Although the thermal damage would only occur from long exposures to very high power levels of the microwave.

Best regards.

Kifilideen.

I think microwave oven is not safe to cook food but not sure. I use microwave oven only to heat the previously cooked food in case of urgency only.

Regards

A restricted use of the microwave is recommended because it is a relatively new invention and not thorough experimented with (one's life).

This topic was discussed previously in RG and researchers are divided in their opinion.

As the generation of heat is due to changing of polarity of the molecules, so I don't think anybody can guarantee that it is totally safe.

Side effects or toxicity of many such things are not identified by contemporary technology. In many cases, these are understood afterwards.

Do not forget - Discoverer of DDT was given Noble Prize for his great contribution in protection of mankind from Mosquito borne diseases!

Thanks.

I do not think its safe.

Experimental research reveals the intake of food cooked in microwave result in reduced Antioxidant properties of enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT) activities.

Ref: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrras.2017.03.001

Regards

Dr. Kamath Madhusudhana

I am not sure of this but I try to avoid the use of microwave because of the controversy surrounding the act. We always get mixed reactions on the use while no one knows the right and wrong.

I think it’s safe

It's not dangerous to our health when it is used for reheating foods at the right heating temperature.

Hi,

Thanks Dr. Hind for sharing this question

Yes dear Hind for extent, microwave is lower energy than that to be harmful, so you can use for mentioned purpose.

Best regards

I really do not know

I think its safe to heat food

It may not be safe.

I believe it's safe to heat food in the microwave but may be not safe to cook food..........

I believe using plastic vessels in microwave oven is harmful.

This topic has already been debated on this platform. Please have a look at these RG links.

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Is_microwave_cooking_of_food_good_for_ones_health_over_the_long-term

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Microwave_oven_heated_foods-are_they_safe

Dear Dr. Hind S. Abdulhay,

Please also have a look at these useful ResearchGate links.

Article Impact of microwave heated food on health Journal: Journal o...

Article Microwave oven safety: A food safety consumer survey in Malaysia

Article Effects of Microwave Heating on Chemical Properties of Veget...

Article Microwave heating of foods changes in nutrient and chemical ...

Good luck!

For each method of processing food advantages and disadvantages, as well as the tools and utensils used in it, usually do not show the disadvantages quickly because they are not taught enough, otherwise not follow the tips accompanying each method

Dear dr.Shibabrata Pattanayak and dr.Arvind Singh, really I did not know that using of microwave oven was discussed before . I have a microwave oven and I use it for heating, but from two days I watched a report mentioned that the using may cause cancer, so I asked the question to make sure is it safe or not.

Thank you dr. José Luis García Vigil

Dr. Jorge Costa-De-Moura

Dr. Kifilideen Lekan Osanyinpeju

For your replying and valuable informations.

An important note dr. Manvendra pratap Singh is the using of nylon or plastic containers in food heating.

A good example Dr. Shibabrata Pattanayak is the use of DDT and then ban its use globally for its environmental and cumulative effects. I understood your point of view.

Thank you dr.Madhusudhana Kamath for the useful link.

Dear Dr. Hind

I think its safe to heat food .

Best wishes

Thank you dr.Ismail W. R. Taifa

for your valuable answers.

There is an assumption that any electromagnetic radiation with a certain frequency can initiate the oxidative modification of composite lipids in food products during their preparation. But their qualitative and quantitative composition is unclear. When using vegetable and animal fats in traditional cooking, cytotoxic and carcinogenic products of fat oxidation are also formed

I read some article about the microwave oven and the risk of using microwave oven depending on the type of food

In general it is safe

In my opinion, it is not safe to use the microwave oven to cook or heat food?

https://www.researchgate.net/post/Microwave_oven_heated_foods-are_they_safe

Dear Dr. Hind S. Abdulhay,

Please have a look at these useful links pertaining to health hazards of microwave cooking.

Article Health Effects of Microwave Radiation -Microwave Ovens Healt...

Thesis Effects of Electromagnetic Radiation from Microwave Ovens on...

Article Adverse Effects of Microwaves

http://www.vsan.org/rok-az/misc/HazardsOfMicrowaveCooking.pdf

Good luck!

It is necessary to distinguish the influence of the working micro-ovens on kitchen workers and on the components of the food products that are prepared in it. In the 1960s and 1970s, toxicologists and hygienists, as well as military doctors, studied the effects of electromagnetic waves on food quality and the protective role of antioxidants

There is no harm in using the microwave to reheat food. Even though the radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, the rotational and vibrational modes of water in the food are excited causing heating. The exposure to radiation is short because it is an efficient energy transfer process.

I personally do not use microwaves for cooking food from scratch (i.e., raw) because I do not want to lose my culinary skills, which I have many, by resorting to the microwave and losing the touch, feel, sound, sight, smell and taste of cooking done over live fire. This is my caveman instinct.

Cooking and heating by the microwave oven carries many bad and harmful aspects.

The US Food and Drug Administration found that the microwaves produce acrylamide, a chemical that causes cancer, and many studies have indicated that acrylamide production is more likely to be used in microwave ovens with higher energy than low-energy devices

Well, there are people who believe that the food cooked or heated in a microwave oven is harmful and in the worst case might cause cancer. However, there is no evidence supporting these claims that cooking or heating food in the microwave can give you cancer or food poisoning.

Studies revealed that it is not suitable for all sort of foods.

I don't think it's safe either way

It reverses the polarity of food as well as produces harmful chemical acrylamide which causes cancer.

Controversies exist and no firm opinion can be drawn in this matter. In such circumstances, it is advisable not to use oven too much

Yes, Dr K N Sheth this is what I found from colleagues' answers. The food safety in the microwave oven is uncertain.

Thank you Dr.Hikmat Abdulkarim Almadhkhori, Dr.Igor F. Belenichev, Dr. Khudhair Abbas, Dr. Ravinder Kumar Sahdev, Dr. Carine Temegne Nono, Dr. Dlshad Ali Omer, Dr.Srini Vasan, Dr.Isam Issa Omran, Dr. Nafees Mohammad , Dr. Abdullah Noori , Dr. Felix Nwafor , Dr. Nadeem Ahmad Khan , Dr. Dr K N Sheth

for your answering and valuable information.

Thanks Dr.Arvind Singh for the useful links.

Thank u Hind S. Abdulhay

no it is not good for health.it is also not more safe.

Dear Dr. Hind

Here are two links one said it is safe , the other is not

Because of the potential for uneven distribution of cooking, food heated in a microwave oven should rest for several minutes after cooking is completed to allow the heat to distribute throughout the food. Food cooked in a microwave oven is as safe, and has the same nutrient value, as food cooked in a conventional oven.

Microwave ovens - World Health Organization

www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/info_microwaves/en/

Are Microwaves Safe? (Must Read if You Use a Microwave Oven) (not safe)

https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/are-microwaves-safe/

I agree with Dr K N Sheth

A microwave is probably one of the most convenient kitchen gadgets that have made our lives really easy. Scientifically speaking, a microwave is a wave of extremely high frequency. It commonly used to heat or cook food in a microwave oven, among some of its other functions. Manufacturers of microwave ovens strongly recommend its usage due to the ease it brings along. Also, give our busy lives, we are easily attracted to products that offer speed along with efficiency and that’s why a microwave is quite in demand.

The increasing awareness towards our health has sparked several debates about the safety of using a microwave oven to heat or cook food. We set out to clarify the veracity of the claim -“is it really dangerous to heat food in a microwave oven?”

  It is essential to clear a certain misconception that arises regarding microwaving food. The only real danger is the usage of plastic containers or those that do not have a label which reads “microwave safe”. It is a known fact that plastic items tend to melt under excessive heat. This in turn exhibits harmful chemicals causing danger to human health and further polluting the environment. As research shows, this is the most perceived threat that comes from using microwaves. Thus, the secret lies in knowing how and what to use when working with a microwave oven.Another myth with respect to heating food in a microwave oven is that all the existing nutrition of the food is lost once it is heated in the microwave. The World Health Organization suggests that the food in the microwave has exactly the same nutrientsthat it does before it heating it. They also state that no microwave energy remains in the food once the microwave has been turned off. This disregards another misconception that the food heated in the microwave becomes "radioactive".

Do It Right

Bangalore-based Nutritionist Dr. Anju Sood, nutritionist, shares, "The myth that heating food in the microwave oven is dangerous has not been proven yet. For short duration heating, the microwave oven is not dangerous provided ceramic and proper containers are used while cooking and heating."

It is essential that some safety standards must be followed to ensure optimum usage of the microwave and to get the best out of it. This will help one think rationally and counter the existing myths.

Microwave ovens are designed in a manner that the waves flow only when the oven is switched on. Thus, it does not pose any danger to the surroundings where it is placed. It is extremely important to maintain the functioning of the oven and it must be kept in a proper condition. It is only with poor maintenance and excessive damage, that the microwave oven poses serious threats. Overheating is a major reason why accidents occur in the kitchen.

reference/https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/is-it-safe-to-heat-food-in-the-microwave-oven-1722832

regards

Microwave ovens produce electromagnetic radiation of exactly the right wavelength to excite water molecules. When water molecules become excited, they heat up. Since most of our food contains a fair amount of water, we can heat up our food by selectively heating up the water inside the food.  Microwave radiation also passes through glass and plastic, which allows it to travel through tupperware and heat up the food inside. However, microwave radiation does not penetrate very deep into the food itself, so if you put something big into the microwave oven for a short amount of time, it'll be hot on the outside but still cool in the middle. To heat up something big like a turkey breast, the heat has to diffuse from the surface to the inside. Plan on putting at least a few minutes on the timer.  Microwave ovens can definitely be harmful if used improperly. Microwave radiation can pass through plastic and glass, but it'll reflect off of metal. If you put a metal object (such as a metal bowl or fork) into the microwave oven, this can cause the microwaves to reflect back to the source that produces them (called the 'magnetron'), and can result in considerable damage to the oven. (The metal wiring in the glass window of the door keeps the microwaves from leaving the oven, but doesn't reflect them back to the source.)  We have already seen that water is heated up in a microwave oven. It is an extremely unwise idea to expose live creatures, which are about 90% water, to microwave radiation. Put simply, any creature will die when exposed to microwave oven radiation long enough for water to boil.  You'll be pleased to know that the Food and Drug Administration has been enforcing strict guidelines for microwave ovens sold in the USA since 1971. These guidelines ensure that leakage is kept well below harmful doses, as well as ensuring that each microwave oven is equipped with at least two safety switches that stop microwave production the instant the door opens.  So like most of the other tools we use every day, the microwave oven can be a great convenience, but it can also be very dangerous when used unwisely. The key is to understand how it works, and to make good decisions when using it.

Hi with Regard Dear Dr Hind S. Abdulhay

Please refer to the link below.

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Cooking_Safely_in_the_Microwave.pdf

With the best wishes

Mr Rezaei Ahvanooei.

I agree with Dr K N Sheth

Microwave radiation is similar to infrared radiation of conventional cooking, in these two main ways: (1) both depend on electromagnetic radiation, and (2) both types of EM radiation are non-ionizing. Which means, the energy in that EM radiation is not sufficient to dislodge electrons from their orbits.

The main difference is that microwaves are much longer in wavelength, than the electromagnetic waves of conventional cooking methods. As such, they penetrate more quickly, deeper into the food you are cooking, than would infrared. Just as longer wavelength radio waves are more capable of penetrating through walls than either higher frequency RF, or light. So microwave ovens heat up the inside of what you're cooking much sooner.

Some use the expression "cooking from the inside out." It's not quite that, but compared with conventional methods, that description is close enough. With conventional cooking, the heating occurs from the outer surface first, and then migrates inwards. With microwaves, it's much more simultaneous. The radiation goes through more uniformly, so you are not depending on the hot outer layers by themselves, to heat up the inner layers of the food.

Compare, for example, cooking corn on the cob via microwave oven, or via boiling or grilling. The microwave method does a better job of getting that corn very hot from the inside, so it retains that heat, without overcooking the corn, making it either mushy or, with grilling, burned.

On the other hand, if you want a nice, crunchy crust, for example for bread or pizza, you do want the outside to cook more quickly than the inside. So conventional ovens, or even toaster ovens, are usually a better choice. In a microwave oven, if you cook whatever it is long enough to get a very crunchy crust, the inside will be hopelessly dried out and impossible to eat.

I don't see anything very credible to suggest that microwave cooking is inherently "unsafe."

I think it i perfectly safe but don't forget. What kill people is "excess". Pure oxygen is not breathable, if you drink water and do not eat you die dehydrated, excess of the medicine that cures a disease may kill the patient, and so on.... Besides that, snake's poison is natural but kills quickly. So, the best is to use but not much, whatever it is.