Pros and Cons on Microwaveable Foods

Hollon Livermore
N01064664
04/04/2017
 According to the United States Department of Labor, in 1947, a man named Raytheon

introduced the worlds first microwave and called it a Radarange.1 When they were first

released, they cost the consumer between two or three thousand dollars, so only people in the

upper class could afford one. 1 Today, more than 90 percent of the US population own a

microwave oven in their homes and they are much more affordable to the average consumer.1

Today, microwaves come in all different shapes and sizes rather than just one type like the ones

made in the past. Microwaves now are much safer, more convenient, and have many different

advanced cooking features. 1

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, microwaves are

produced inside the oven by an electron tube called a magnetron. 2 The microwaves are reflected

within the metal interior of the oven where food absorbs them. 2 Microwaves cause water

molecules in food to vibrate, producing heat that cooks the food. 2 Therefore foods that are high

in water content. 2 Fresh vegetables for instance, can be cooked more quickly than other foods. 2

The microwave energy is changed to heat as food absorbs it, and does not make food

radioactive or "contaminated." 2 To achieve microbiological safety, microwaving instructions

should ensure that whatever is being heated should be heated to seventy degrees Celsius for two

minutes, unless previously pasteurized or sterilized. 3

A great deal of research has been done in an attempt to establish the criteria necessary for

food product design, which optimizes the use of microwave energy. 3 Therefore, there are many

pro and cons to microwave ovens. Some of the pros and cons fall into the category of efficiency

of time and money, how microwaves are portrayed, convenience, fear of toxins, what happens to

food in the microwave, and if microwaving is the best option to cook with. Also, some of the

cons fall under categories like what kind of containers are you are microwaving your food in and
the overall quality of food outcomes when cooked in the microwave. Therefore, the purpose of

this paper is to research and explain both pros and cons to microwave usage and how it affects

foods.

To begin, one of the key barriers of cooking is lack of time. 4 The American lifestyle is very

fast pace and there is never enough time in a day to complete everything it seems. Microwaves

are a huge component when it comes to saving time. Many things like boiling water for coffee or

tea, re-heating left-over foods, and even making popcorn without a mess are easy and fast ways

to get use out of microwaves to save time.

Furthermore, another one of the key barriers of cooking is affordability. 4 Going out for

dinner can be very costly, and there are many people in the American population that do not have

a large income and cannot afford to eat out regularly or hardly at all. Evidence suggests that

meals cooked at home are usually healthier and can save on cost, even if it is a microwaveable

meal. 4

Also, usually microwaves are discussed in a positive light, but you also hear them to be

described to be a negative tool as well. There are some people that view microwaveable meals as

a form of cheating, being less healthy due to the radiation of the nutrients of food, or even just

a lazy way of cooking. 4 All though, this common misconception of radiation poisoning from

microwaves is extremely rare. 2 The Food and Drug Administration has strict regulations that

require that microwave ovens are to be designed to prevent these high-level radiation leaks, and a

very rare radiation leak and usually caused by a manufacturer issue. 2

To continue, there is almost nothing you cannot cook in a microwave or reheat, but some

options are better than others. The major components of food are water, fats, carbohydrates, and
proteins. 3 All of these components of food have direct relevance for microwave heating. 3 The

water in the food is polar, which means that the water molecules are going to attempt to align

themselves with the electromagnetic microwave field when microwaved, which is also known as

dipole relaxation. 3 Fats have a low dielectric loss, so they do not receive as much heat from the

microwave field. 3 Carbohydrates usually will bind to some of the water within the foods, which

makes the water unavailable to interact with the microwave field. 3 Lastly, proteins will also bind

to some of the water within the food which also can reduce the heating and not make the food as

hot. 3

Controversially, when it comes to microwave irradiation, a study performed in 2016 on the

influence of metal ions on the dielectric enhancement of radical generation of rice starch during

the microwave process showed a different way that free radicals can enter our foods from

microwave ovens. 5 The dielectric properties affect the depth to which microwave energy is

allowed to penetrate into the food to be dissipated as heat. 3 The government says it is extremely

rare to see a radiation leak, but in this study the quantity and character of the free radicals were

analyzed using an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), which resulted in showing that the

metal ions could change the dielectric property and inter structure of the rice starch. 3,5

Therefore, this influenced the ability of rice starch to generate radicals under microwave

irradiation. 5

Another problem that is happening with microwaves is that people are using microwaves as a

crutch now. 6 All you have to do is simply put your bowl or bag from the freezer or refrigerator

in the microwave and touch a button to cook foods. People no longer have any cooking skill. 6

The is a decline in the intergenerational transmission of basic cooking skills at home, and schools

are no longer teaching cooking classes to student in most countries. 6 Also, improvements in food
technology enables the food industry to respond to peoples demands with an increased

availability to convenient and ready-to-eat foods. 6 Food Guidelines only inform people on how

to try and eat better and about healthier food choices that are out there. 6 The guidelines are only

informing on nutritional information alone and not on important aspects of cooking like:

financial resources, means of transportation, kitchen equipment and how to use them, and

household members skill in food acquisition, transportation, storage, and preparation. 6 All of

these things are very important in the process of making and preparing foods, and most

importantly food safety. 6

On the other hand, steaming or microwaving foods are two of the easiest and healthiest ways

to cook or prepare foods without depriving them of many of their nutrients. 7,8 A study on the

combination of microwaving and steaming purple sweet potatoes was performed to see if the

combination improved the nutritional quality and if it saved more time. The different methods

were performed by comparing the combination cooking to those of individual steaming and

microwaving. 8 The contents being analyzed was the specific phytochemicals, carbohydrates, and

antioxidant activity of the purple sweet potato. 8 The results concluded that the simultaneous

combination of the microwave and steam cooking for twelve minutes contained the highest of

total phenolic, flavonoids, phenolic acid, and anthocyanin concentrations. 8 Also, the antioxidant

activity result was much higher in the combination method and the combination cooking

increased starch availability and provided higher contents of soluble sugar. 8 Essentially, this

study showed how microwaves are a good source of cooking and preparing meals, but when you

use the combination of microwaving and steaming, the outcome of nutrients takes precedence. 8

In another study, ohmic heating was compared to heating with a conventional oven and a

microwave oven and the softening texture was mainly measured in radishes, turnips, potatoes,
and cabbage. The ohmic heating is a new type of heating being introduced that is a thermal

process wherein electrical current is conducted through the food to create heat internally. 9 The

ohmic heating method softened the texture of all four studied vegetables at greater rates in

comparison to the microwave and conventional oven methods. 9 All though the nutrients were

not measured in this experiment, the study shows that the microwave still had a better texture

and more crisp flavor that that of the conventional oven and ohmic heating options. 9

To continue, Sulforaphane is produced from the hydrolysis of the glucosinolate

glucoraphanin in the presence of the endogenous enzyme myrosinase. 10.11 Glucosinolates, such

as sulforaphane are found in broccoli and are said to reduce the risk of cancers. 10.11 In two

different studies, different cooking methods were used to test if prior and post cooking these in a

microwave (and other cooking methods) broke down these cancer preventative mechanisms. 10.11

In one of the studies, fresh broccoli was used ten minutes after harvested. 10 In the other study,

three types of commercially frozen broccoli were analyzed. In the case of the fresh broccoli

being studied, it was found that microwaving the broccoli was one of the cooking methods that

led to a loss in the glucosinolates, but steaming was the lowest loss and stir-frying and boiling

were the highest loss. 10 All though steaming showed to be the best way to retain nutrients,

microwaving the broccoli was not the worst way to maintain the cancer preventative properties.

In the study with the frozen broccoli, before the broccoli was cooked and was still frozen,

there was very little potential to form sulforaphane found. 11 After cooking the broccoli in the

microwave there was essentially no potential found to form sulforaphane. 11 The process

performed by companies of the frozen broccoli prior to freezing could have influenced the

properties of the broccoli before the broccoli was cooked, even though after the broccoli was

microwaved, it still showed even more of a loss of the cancer preventative properties. 11
Unfortunately, no other cooking mechanism was performed other than microwaving, so there is

no other method to compare to.

Moreover, there are many people that are skeptical on what they put in their microwave

to cook their foods. In a study, there are two types of digestion methods used called microwave-

assisted digestion and small-size autoclave digestion to determine concentrations of substances

in plastic samples that are considered microwave safe. 12 The study is trying to determine the

additive compounds in the plastic to see what is actually considered safe. The results found

that both types of digestion methods, concentrations and trace minerals were found, but were

considered safe and suitable. 12

Lastly, in the 1970s, research on convenience food consumption started looking at the

link between the employment status of the wife and the purchase of convenience food. 13 As

more women were finding jobs and working outside the home, there was less time to spend in

the kitchen preparing nutritious meals which caused an increase in fast foods, like

microwaveable foods. It was found that people that were working more than thirty hours a week

(which is considered part time and not eligible for insurance or benefits at most jobs in America)

were using more fast-food options like microwaveable meals. 13 People that were working less

than nine hours a week were more likely to prepare their own meals and live a healthier lifestyle.
13
Also, the use of convenient appliances like microwaves is considered higher when the person

who is responsible for meal preparation is holding a job. 14

Conclusively, a great deal of research has been done in an attempt to establish the criteria

necessary for food product design, which optimizes the use of microwave energy. 3 There are

many pros and cons to microwave usage. Some of the pros include that microwave cooking is

very efficient and saves time and energy. Most Americans do not have a lot of time in their busy
schedule to prepare meals and then cook them, so when you have a microwave you are saving on

that time to spend with your family along with energy. Also, microwave foods can save on cost.

It is very expensive go out to dinner, which many people think saves time, but is actually

expensive and can be higher in calories and fat if you do not pay attention to what you order. 3

Also, microwaves are pretty low maintenance and do not require a lot of clean up or energy.

Another pro is how microwaves are one of the healthiest way to cook your foods, but the best

way to cook your foods with losing the least number of nutrients is when you steam your food in

the microwave oven. 7,8 Microwaves as well as conventional ovens have a better texture when

cooked this way in comparison of other fast cooking methods. 9 Also, if using fresh broccoli, it is

found that when microwaving the broccoli, it still contains some of the cancer preventative

properties that it contains when it is raw. 10 Finally, the most common containers safe to use in a

microwave are china, glass, paper, and plastics because they are considered transparent to

microwaves. 3,12

Lastly, some of the cons that were discussed in this paper were how microwaves are

sometimes portrayed to be a negative thing. Some people consider them to be a hazard, which is

very rare according to the FDA, but free radicals have been found in rice starch when

microwaved. 2, 4, 5 Further research is required to consider the severity of the free radicals. 5 Also,

people are now using microwaves as a crutch and are no longer educated on how to actually

cook foods. 5

In all, I believe that there is more evidence that microwaves are a positive addition to our

society rather than a negative. The pros outweigh the cons nutritionally. Microwaves are

nutritionally better to cook with than boiling water and even sauting a meal. 10 Microwaves have
had a pronounced impact on our society and helping with saving time, money, cost, among many

other factors.

Overall, as an application to dietetics, microwaving has a big impact on health a how you

prepare your foods. The major factor supporting the popularity of microwave heating is how it is

so rapid, which matches very well with the current lifestyle of the American population. 15 It is

important for us as dieticians to understand the good and the bad of microwaving foods.

For example, if you are making meal plans for a patient that has a very tight schedule and

does not have much time to put into preparing meals or cooking, microwaving meals might need

to be an option for them. There are healthy ways to prepare microwavable meals and with the

advancing in technology, there are many pre-made meals that you can put into the microwave

and still get plenty of nutrients without all the fat and sodium.

As a dietician, it is important to educate people on how to properly prepare microwavable

meals and educate them on how not to prepare microwaveable meals. Some people may not be

educated on what you are not supposed to put in a microwave or what kinds of containers may or

may not be okay to put in the microwave. These are things that should be sure to be conveyed

properly to a patient before you advise them to start using the microwave as a cooking method,

especially a main cooking method. Also, if you do add microwaveable meals to a patients meal

plan, you should always include recipes that are very details on preparation, times, and wattage.

Dieticians should be giving recopies and keeping recipes on hand of how to cook meals as well

as vegetables using microwaves as a staple, because microwaves are in almost every household,

including low income families. Low income families are more likely to have a microwave in

their home than a convection oven. 13

 References

1) United States Department of Labor Website. https://www.bls.gov/cpi/cpimwo.htm.

Accessed March 30, 2017.
2) US Department of Health and Human Services Website. https://www.fda.gov/Radiation-
EmittingProducts/ResourcesforYouRadiationEmittingProducts/ucm252762.htm.
Accessed March 30, 2017.
3) George R, Burnett S. General guidelines for microwaveable products. Food Control.
1991;2(1):35-44.
4) Wolfson J, Bleich S, Smith K, Frattaroli S. What does cooking mean to you? Perceptions
of cooking and factors related to cooking behavior. Appetite. 97; 2016:146-154.
5) Fan D, Lin L, Wang L, et al. The influence of metal ions on the dielectric enhancement
and radical generation of rice starch during microwave processing. Int. J. Biol.
Macromolec. 2017; 94:266-270.
6) Hartmann C, Dohle S, Siegrist M. Importance of cooking skills for balanced food
choices. Appetite. 2013; 65:125-131.
7) Harvard Medical School Website. http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-
healthy/microwave-cooking-and-nutrition. Accessed March 31, 2017.
8) Xu Y, Chen Y, Cao Y, Xia W, Jiang Q. Application of simultaneous combination of
microwave and steam cooking to improve nutritional quality of cooked purple sweet
potatoes and saving time. Innov. Food Sci. & Emerg. Technol. 2016; 36:303-310.
9) Kamali E, Farahnaky A. Ohmic-Assisted Texture Softening of Cabbage, Turnip, Potato
and Radish in Comparison with Microwave and Conventional Heating. J. Texture Stud.
2015;46(1):12-21.
10) Yuan G, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang Q. Effects of different cooking methods on health-
promoting compounds of broccoli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009 Aug; 10(8): 580588.
11) Dosz E, Jeffery E. Commercially produced frozen broccoli lacks the ability to form
sulforaphane. J Funct Foods. 2013; 5(2):987-990.
12) Lehtimaki E, Vaisanen A. Determination of metal concentrations in certified plastic
reference materials after small-size autoclave and microwave-assisted digestion followed
with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Spectrochim. Acta, Part
B. 2017; 127:64-69.
13) Brunner T, Horst K, Siegrist M. Convenience food products Drivers for consumption.
Appetite. 2010; 5(3):498-506.
14) Verlegh P, Candel M. The consumption of convenience foods: reference groups and
eating situations. Food Qual Prefer. 1999; 10(6):457-464.
15) V Meda, V Orsat, V Raghavan. Microwave heating and the dielectric properties of foods.
In: Regier M, Knoerzer K, Schubert H, eds. The Microwave Processing of Foods (Second
Edition). Cambridge, MA: Elsevier Ltd; 2017:23-43.