Foods that should not be reheated in the microwave

Experts recommend not reheating mushrooms, eggs, breast milk, seafood and green vegetables in the microwave.

Reheating food in the microwave is a convenient and quick way to have a hot meal for busy people. However, according to experts, some foods can release toxins, which are harmful to health if heated in this way.

Mushroom

The European Food Information Council advises users not to reheat mushrooms. When left for too long at room temperature or not stored properly, mushrooms contain proteins that are easily damaged by enzymes and bacteria, causing stomach upset.

You need to store mushrooms in the refrigerator, use time not more than 24 hours, recommended temperature is 70 degrees Celsius.

Egg

For freshly cooked eggs, reheating for one to two minutes is safe. However, according to the recommendations of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with eggs that have been kept for a long time, heating even for a short time can also be dangerous.

The FDA advises not to leave raw or cooked eggs in the refrigerator for more than two hours in cool weather and more than an hour in hot weather. The agency also advises against reheating leftover eggs from the day before or egg sandwiches left in the morning to afternoon. Bacteria such as salmonella can multiply rapidly in eggs, leading to food poisoning.

Most patients with salmonella infection develop diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting 12 to 72 hours after onset. Symptoms usually last 4 to 7 days. The bacteria can spread from the intestines into the bloodstream, to the muscles and cause death if not treated with antibiotics.

Experts recommend not reheating eggs that have been cooked for a long time. Photo: iStock

Breast milk and baby food

Experts say it is possible to heat breast milk, but absolutely do not put it in the microwave. According to nutritionist Susie Garcia, microwaves heat food unevenly. Portions of milk that are too hot can burn your baby's sensitive mouth and throat. In addition, microwave ovens are not cleaned regularly, there may be bacteria left from raw meat and fish when defrosting.

If you need to heat breast milk and baby food, experts recommend using a water bath.

Green vegetables

Leafy vegetables should be consumed within a day, ideally within a few hours of being cooked. The European Food Information Council notes that reheating vegetables in the microwave can cause nitrates to convert to nitrosamines. Some nitrosamines are carcinogens, affecting the body's ability to carry oxygen.

Seafood

According to the FDA, fresh seafood is caught and frozen immediately, so it is safe to microwave it to defrost. However, cooked seafood left at room temperature can still harbor disease-causing bacteria. Reheating does not kill these bacteria.

The FDA recommends that seafood be left at room temperature for no more than two hours in cool weather and for more than one hour in hot weather. Bacteria can grow rapidly in temperatures of 4-60 degrees Celsius.