Microwave Safe Plastic Numbers

To choose a microwave safe container start by checking the packaging or the bottom of the dish for labels such as microwave safe or a wavy line symbol which means the container can be microwaved.

Microwave safe plastic numbers.

You can identify containers made from pp by looking on the bottom for the pp stamp or a recycling sign with the number 5 in the middle. Also avoid containers that are made of soft plastic since they can contain harmful chemicals. To summarize plastics in categories 2 4 and 5 are generally considered safe. In sum glass and microwave safe ceramic dishware are.

If you must wash plastics marked dishwasher safe place them in the top rack far from the heating element consumer reports advises. Inside the triangle there is sometimes a number and that number denotes the type of plastic the item is made of. Find out which are safe and which may be hazardous. An analysis of 455 common plastic products including supposedly bpa free ones found that 70 tested positive for estrogenic activity.

While plastic containers have been vilified for potential health risks some are ok to use. Avoid putting type 3 pvc type 6 polystyrene and type 7 polycarbonate into a microwave oven. According to rolf halden the director for the center for environmental security at the biodesign institute at arizona state university the amounts of bpa and phthalates leaching into food depends on the type of plastic that s put in the microwave the amount of time it s heated and the condition of the container. Microwave safe plastic guide.

Although the number within the recycling symbol won t definitely determine if the plastic is necessarily recyclable it does definitely specify what is not microwaveable. Microwave safe containers go through stringent fda testing to ensure that at temperatures reached in the microwave oven the amount of chemicals that leach out of the plastic is no more than 100. Plastic product is deemed microwave safe. Be weary of putting them in the microwave even if they are labeled microwave safe.

Plastics 1 3 6 and 7 should be used with varying to extreme caution especially around food or drink.