Is it safe to heat food in plastic containers?

A lot of videos on social media suggest that heating food in a plastic container in the microwave can make you sick or even cause deaths. But is this really true? Dutch public broadcaster NTR Wetenschap investigated these claims in a video on Instagram. Momentum researcher Emma Kasteel from Utrecht University shared her insights.

In the video, Kasteel explains that the different polymers in plastic containers can degrade into micro- and nanoplastics. But whether this is dangerous for your health is unclear. “We are still in the early stages of research. Most of our research currently takes place in the lab, using cultured cells or animal studies”, Kasteel says.

“We do think that heating plastic causes microplastics to be released more easily”, Kasteel continues. So, if you want to reduce your exposure to microplastics, it’s best to use a plate or other non-plastic container when heating food in the microwave.