The archive / Health and environment
1970–1990 · Worldwide
Radiation in the kitchen is ruining our food – and us!
The microwave oven
Panic meter
The verdict
The microwave oven was suspected of making food radioactive or toxic. It does neither.
Reality meter
What was said?
When the microwave oven became a common sight in homes in the 1970s and 80s, worries about "radiation" spread. People wondered whether the food became radioactive, whether its nutrients were destroyed, and whether it was dangerous to stand near the oven.
The verdict: what happened next?
Microwaves heat food by making its water molecules move; they do not make it radioactive. Authorities such as the US FDA have set limits on leakage since the 1970s, and an oven in good condition leaks far below them.
Nutrients are preserved about as well as, or better than, when boiling, because the cooking is quicker.
Comments 0