Do Microwaves Cause Cancer? (And 3 Other Microwave Myths)

 

In 1946, an engineer was working near a piece of equipment known as a magnetron which is part of a radar system when he noticed that the radar emission at microwave frequencies melted the snack bar he had stashed in his pocket. Legends disagree as to whether it was a peanut cluster bar or a chocolate one, but the fact remains that rather than just mourning the loss of his snack, he did a little investigating.

He and his coworkers realized that focused beams of microwave emission—that’s waves of energy at frequencies near the radio frequency regime—will cause polar or electrically asymmetric molecules like water in food to rotate. This rotation produces thermal energy (aka heat) which then can quickly and nearly uniformly heat the food.

The microwave was born and dinnertime around the world saw a revolution. The first thing those engineers tried to cook was popcorn. The second thing was an egg which, of course, exploded in their faces. 

Now, according to the US Census Bureau, 97 percent of households in the United States have a microwave. But how much does the average household understand how a microwave works? What misconceptions about our microwave use persist? Let’s take a look at four microwave myths that science has proven false.

Myth #1: Due to the high temperatures, a microwave heats food all the way through to the center

Anyone who has tried to heat a frozen burrito in the microwave knows this myth can’t possibly be true. In fact, the air inside a microwave remains at room temperature, unlike in a conventional oven which takes longer to heat the surrounding air. This air temperature difference is also why your food never comes out of the microwave lightly browned and crispy.

Cold or raw spots in meat that is not already cooked can be unsafe.

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that microwaves only penetrate food down to 1 to 1.5 inches below the surface. Anything thicker than that will have to be heated through conduction of heat from the outer layers of the food toward the center. Thus, cutting that burrito in half at some point in the microwaving process will increase its surface area and allow for more uniform heating.

Microwave cooking does destroy...

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