Have you heard the statement: “Don`t heat food up in the microwave in plastic containers, it will kill you?” Or, “If you use microwaveable plastic containers, then they will not melt, shrink, or become damaged when heating up food?”

Is this true?

What does it mean if a container has “microwaveable” or “microwave safe?”

The FDA strongly regulates these plastic containers. They undergo incredible testing and must pass very strict standards be given the label “microwaveable” or “microwave safe.”

If the container has that label, then they should not melt or shrink when heated and any chemicals leaking into food are at very low levels that do not cause any health effects.

However be wary of any plastic containers with #7 on the bottom. These should not be used in the microwave because they leak a chemical BPA which does cause health issues in animal studies.

Plastic bags, yogurt or margarine containers should never be used in the microwave. If a container does not have ‘microwaveable or microwave safe’, avoid using them.