Can plastic containers actually cause cancer when food is microwaved? The answer...

Most of the time we´re in a rush, at work having lunch break, or simply wanting to heat some food as fast as possible and don´t pay too much attention to the container in which our food is microwaved.

Recently I´ve been receiving several chat-chains warnings about how microwaving food in a plastic container may cause cancer. So I decided to dig a little more into the subject since people go crazy just by reading the word “cancer” in any text. And after a few hours of research, this is what I found out:

Let´s get straight to the point

First of all, any material you burn will result in a compound/elements separation. These compounds, specially the plastic´s can get into the organism and behave as human cells, that´s how cancer is generated. So YES it may cause cancer, since plastic containers are made (depending of the manufacturer and material) of different plastic related chemical compounds that might stick to our food when is in touch. But don’t be alarmed yet. Here are some tips to keep in mind for the next time you use your microwave:

• You just have to be careful of not burn your food in the microwave.
• Also avoid the contact between the food and the plastic container by simply putting the food on a ceramic/glass plate before.
• Do never leave a plastic envelope from the “on the go food” in contact with the food when microwaving, these are the worst!
• Don´t set up the time more than necessary.

Is it ok to always recycle?

In this case, I´m not so sure about it. Disposable plastic containers overheat very easily, so you shouldn´t use those to microwave foods o drinks.

Personal experience

A couple of years ago, I tried used my microwave (a medium size one) to make some Toasted garlic bread, programmed the microwave for 2 minutes, which is more than enough time for the bread to absorb the butter sauce, and YES I did use a plastic plate (and a very cheap one is worth saying). I was still talking to a friend in the living room so I couldn´t notice the smell until the microwave beeped and I came into the kitchen. The bread was stuck to the plate, the bread coal black and the part of the plate beneath it like melted cheese! Then my friend came in and said: “how about we better eat some cereal?”

Perfect Garlic toasts.

I hope this post have been helpful to you and help you to improve your daily habits.