Question for the smart people on this forum :)

[smokeasaurus]

My wife (LVN) says to never ever ever heat food up in plastic. She says to always use glass.

Uh oh, I’ve been doing it for years!

What’s her reasoning behind it?

I don't really know, she uses all these big fancy 4-6 syllable words and I just tune her out and keep eating...... 

[rwalters]

My wife (LVN) says to never ever ever heat food up in plastic. She says to always use glass.

Uh oh, I’ve been doing it for years!

What’s her reasoning behind it?

I don't really know, she uses all these big fancy 4-6 syllable words and I just tune her out and keep eating......

Boy, talk about a strong argument for not using plastic wrap... LOVE IT!  lol!!!

[TwoPockets]

When I read the title of your post, I am really surprised you got so many replies.

[rwalters]

When I read the title of your post, I am really surprised you got so many replies.

OH BAM!!!  Can't wait to see how the mod's handle this slam

[TwoPockets]

They know I am kidding. I have been here since this started and they just kind of shake their heads and say "that boy ain"t right".

[rwalters]

They know I am kidding. I have been here since this started and they just kind of shake their heads and say "that boy ain"t right".

No worries by me... I like your type (cuz I am one)! 

[Pappymn]

When I read the title of your post, I am  the really surprised you got so many replies.

OH BAM!!!  Can't wait to see how the mod's handle this slam

They go easy on TP around here. But they throw the book at me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[rwalters]

When I read the title of your post, I am  the really surprised you got so many replies.

OH BAM!!!  Can't wait to see how the mod's handle this slam

They go easy on TP around here. But they throw the book at me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I am right here for ya buddy if you need a shoulder to cry on... 

[skidog]

According to everything i can find the chance of the plasticizers getting into your food is slim to none. This is an old article but seems to say the same as the other things I read.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/microwaving-with-plastic-wrap-safety_n_1121271.html

[teesquare]

When I read the title of your post, I am  the really surprised you got so many replies.

OH BAM!!!  Can't wait to see how the mod's handle this slam

They go easy on TP around here. But they throw the book at me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not at my house..... we go thru a LOT OF T.P.....

[DWard51]

Well back to the original question of why does it do this....

Boyles law of gases. 

Air molecules expanded when heated and as the pressure increased on the fixed volume contained by the plastic wrap (it can only expand or balloon to a point and then the pressure leaks out past that point).  When it cooled there are less air molecules trapped inside the plastic wrap so once back to room temp, it actually creates a partial vacuum causing the plastic wrap to be sucked down against the food and container.

Same principal is how Ball jars work in canning (the lid part).

[rwalters]

Well back to the original question of why does it do this....

Boyles law of gases. 

Air molecules expanded when heated and as the pressure increased on the fixed volume contained by the plastic wrap (it can only expand or balloon to a point and then the pressure leaks out past that point).  When it cooled there are less air molecules trapped inside the plastic wrap so once back to room temp, it actually creates a partial vacuum causing the plastic wrap to be sucked down against the food and container.

Same principal is how Ball jars work in canning (the lid part).

That makes sense!  Thanks bud... I actually feel a bit smarter now

[teesquare]

According to everything i can find the chance of the plasticizers getting into your food is slim to none. This is an old article but seems to say the same as the other things I read.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/microwaving-with-plastic-wrap-safety_n_1121271.html

While Huffington Post offers a vomitous volume on all things political...as do far too many others nowadays....I would not think of any them as an authority on health and wellness. NIH, FDA, CDC, and other agencies...perhaps.  And - frankly....a lot of the internet today has suspect objectivity. In other words, WHO paid for the article to be written?  What was the vested interest?

Polymeric materials, including re and post reacted polyols, monomers, epoxies, methyl-methacrylates ( acrylics as a group..),vinyl and poly-esters, urethanes, PVCs, and HDPEs all materials that I have worked with in a number of manufacturing and field applications.

There are reasons that plastics are marked with specific symbols is to give us an idea about their safety for food containment under specific conditions. In other words - one plastic that can contain acidic materials....may not be safe for heating any foods in. So...Lets look at some real world plastics/plasticizer issues. But the numbering system is not a complete story.

How about this: we are currently reading and hearing about "micro plastics" in bottled water. This is NOT water that has been heated, or exposed to microwave radiation. It has been filtered ( at best...buyer beware, read the label, etc...)

Your car's dash. If left in a sunny, hot environment, it will - with time - dull, become hard and brittle, ...and crack. Why? Plasticizer migration. Glass and porcelain are as inert as possible.

SO - the more flexible the plastic, the higher the percentage of plasticizers. Heat, UV and IR can all accelerate greatly the plasticizer migration out of molecular bond.  Since we know that heat can accelerate the migration....WHY would you want to use plastics in a microwave oven?

We each pick our "poisons".....Some folks still believe that cigarettes will not hurt them. It's just the chemicals in the tobacco......