Think twice before reheating food
Let's set the scene. You’ve just finished a hard day’s work and you’re too lazy to cook. Then you remember, you are a genius. You only had some leftovers earlier because you did some batch cooking. Wow, thank you in the past.
To make this meal, simply heat the plastic container of the meal in the microwave. Or is it?
However, a gastroenterologist, Saurabh Sethi, took to TikTok to reveal issues that can arise in microwave ovens when heating food in plastic containers.
In a post to his 330,000 followers, he explained that microwaving is good because it retains nutrients well.
“Studies show that microwaving retains nutrients well, often better than methods such as frying,” he went on to reveal the risks of using plastic.
He adds: “Now this is the most important tip. Many plastics contain hormone-disrupting compounds, such as BPA, which can contaminate your food when heated.”
BPA, also known as bisphenol A, contains important hormones, and research shows that BPA can raise blood pressure, lead to type 2 diabetes and heart problems.
Research from which? It is also suggested that microwaving food in plastic containers can introduce undesirable chemicals into the food.
They also add that even if plastic containers are BPA-free, there may still be risks associated with using it.
“Even if the plastic is BPA-free, it's still not microwave safe. This may be because it's not designed to withstand high temperatures, or because it contains phthalates (another hormone-disrupting chemical that, like BPA, can transferred to food during cooking),” they explain.
Sethi also recommends using glass instead of plastic to microwave food, while the Food Packaging Forum advises against microwaving any type of plastic.
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