Microwave Warning: You Should Never Reheat These 7 Foods

Reheating food using the microwave is a common kitchen ritual in this modern day. You all know about the risks of reheating foods, using certain kinds of containers.
But did you know that some foods pose threats when you reheat them for a second time? Below are foods you should never reheat in the microwave.

1. Rice

Reheating rice in a microwave will not destroy harmful bacteria, instead it gives them with a hot moist environment causing them to multiply. It often contains bacillus cereus, a spores of bacteria which produce toxins that cause mild food poisoning.
These microorganisms and the toxins that they produce are resistant to, that’s why reheating in a microwave will not kill them. When storing cooked rice, make sure to plunk it into the fridge an hour after it is cooked to prevent the growth of this bacteria.

2. Mushrooms

Generally, it is best to eat mushrooms right after preparation because the proteins in mushroom deteriorate rapidly as soon as you cut them up. Generally, if you stock the mushrooms you’ve prepared in the fridge for no more than 24 hours, it’s safe to eat them after they’re reheated to a temperature of 158 degrees.

3. Milk, Especially Breastmilk

Milk is one of the best forms of nutrition as it has a variety of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, healthy fatty acids, and bioactive compounds that have a positive impact on health.
Breastmilk is nutritious for babies as it helps improve their immunity levels and decreases the risk of several types of infection.
Heating milk in a microwave is a not a good idea as it does not heat evenly and some parts may get too hot while others remain cold. Furthermore, the excess heat from a microwave will decrease the nutritional quality of breast milk.

4. Chicken

If you cook or reheat chicken in the microwave, it does not cook evenly. Some may remain under-cooked and it will contain amounts of harmful bacteria. Salmonella infection is one of the most common types of food poisoning and is linked to under-cooked chicken.
Some poultry produce contains a small amount of this bacteria, but they can be destroyed by high heat levels, that’s why it is important to cook chicken correctly. Experts suggest that if you use a microwave to cook your chicken, make sure that the temperature is 165°F or above to destroy these bacteria.

5. Potatoes

Potatoes often contain Clostridium botulinum, a form of bacteria that is often found in soil. The spores of bacteria are not harmful but they produce 4 neurotoxins that attack the central nervous system.
If you bake potatoes in a microwave, the heat does not spread evenly, resulting to hot and cold spots. Bacteria can survive within the cold spots and can increase in number and lead to botulism, a serious health condition which causes paralysis.

6. Frozen Meat

Freezing is the best way to store meat as it prevents the multiplication of bacteria within the meat. But, thawing meat in a microwave can be uneven, so it is best to thaw frozen meat using conventional methods. While the outer parts of the meat might seem to be perfectly thawed, the inner parts might remain frozen.
When you cook the meat immediately after, some portions will take longer time to cook and under-cooked meat is likely to contain bacteria, which will lead to food poisoning. Additionally, bone can shield meat from thorough heating in a microwave and so you must avoid this practice as far as possible.

7. Egg

Eggs often contain salmonella, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning. This bacteria is killed when exposed to high level temperatures that’s why it is important to make sure that eggs are cooked through and through. If you cook eggs in a microwave, it is likely to remain uncooked in spots and so the bacteria in these parts are not destroyed, which can cause food poisoning. Furthermore, trying to cook an egg within its shell can cause a build-up of high-pressured steam within the egg and it can explode violently when the shell is broken. This has been known to cause severe burns as well as vision-threatening corneal damage.
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