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Microwave Safety
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Microwave Safety
Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. Microwave ovens are one of those household technologies most of us use a lot but don t really understand: Is nuked food good for you and is exposure to microwaves bad for you? While they are a form of electromagnetic radiation, microwaves are only slightly more powerful than the waves used to transmit radio and TV signals, and they re not nearly as powerful as x-rays or even the ultraviolet rays of the sun. The Food and Drug Administration monitors microwave ovens and limits microwave emissions to much lower levels than those known to harm people, measured just outside the oven. Only 20 inches away, emissions are one one-hundredth that amount, so to avoid even low levels of exposure, just step away. The FDA requires two independent interlock systems and a monitoring system to stop the production of microwaves the moment the latch is released or the door is opened, so they can t actually sneak out. Clean your oven often, especially around the seals. If the door, hinges or latch have been damaged or if it s been dropped or damaged by a fire, it s time for a new oven. While the microwaves from your oven can t burn you, you can still burn yourself by heating food too long or using metal or other containers that aren t recommended in your manual. Microwaves cook your food not from the inside out, as the mythology goes, but by vibrating water molecules from the outside in. Because you re only heating the food, not the space around it, and for less time, microwaving your food can actually save energy and retain more nutrients than conventional cooking. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008
