Can plastic wrap be heated? Microwave oven
Plastic wrap is already familiar in the home, whether it is a refrigerator or a microwave oven, but now many people are worried about whether it is harmful to heat the plastic wrap in a microwave oven. The following small series will solve this problem for you.
The reporter learned from relevant departments that the national standard of "Food Plastic Self-Adhesive Plastic Preservation Film" will be implemented on December 1. In the future, whether plastic wrap can be used for microwave oven heating and whether it can contact greasy food can be seen at a glance when consumers buy.
The reporter saw in the standard that according to the material and processing technology of plastic wrap, plastic wrap can be divided into polyethylene (PE) self-adhesive plastic wrap, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) self-adhesive plastic wrap, polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC) self-adhesive plastic wrap and multi-layer co-extrusion self-adhesive plastic wrap. It is understood that among the three types of plastic wrap, PE and PVDC plastic wrap are safe for the human body. At present, most of the plastic wrap sold on the market uses PE as a raw material, and PVC plastic wrap can also be used for food packaging, but after heating in the microwave oven, harmful substances will be produced due to overheating or oily food. The new standard stipulates that PVC plastic wrap should be marked with warning language such as "no contact with greasy food", "no microwave oven heating", "no high temperature use", etc. Other types of plastic wrap, if they claim to be used for microwave oven heating, must indicate "can be used in microwave oven", heating method and maximum temperature resistance. In addition, plastic wrap should also be marked with the words "for food".
Precautions for heating plastic wrap in microwave oven
1. When heating oily food, keep the plastic wrap isolated from the food and do not let the two come into direct contact. Because when the food is heated, the food oil may reach a very high temperature, causing the plastic wrap to break and stick to the food.
2. When heating food, cover the utensils with plastic wrap, and then use needles such as toothpicks to make several small holes in the plastic wrap to facilitate the evaporation of water and prevent the plastic wrap from bursting due to gas expansion.
3. The maximum heat-resistant temperature marked by each brand of plastic wrap varies, with some differences of about 10 degrees Celsius. When the temperature in the microwave oven is high, it usually reaches about 110 degrees Celsius. When it requires long-term heating, it is recommended to choose a plastic wrap with high heat resistance.
Which foods cannot be wrapped in plastic wrap?
Experiments showed that 100 grams of plastic wrap-wrapped chives had 1.33 milligrams more vitamin C after 24 hours than when they were not wrapped, and 1.92 milligrams more rapeseed and lettuce leaves. However, the experimental results of some vegetables were very different. After 100 grams of plastic wrap-wrapped radishes were stored for one day, their vitamin C content decreased by 3.4 milligrams, and beans decreased by 3.8 milligrams. After cucumbers were stored for one day and one night, their vitamin C loss was equivalent to 5 apples.
Cooked food, hot food, oily food, especially meat, should not be stored in plastic wrap. Experts point out that when these foods come into contact with plastic wrap, they can easily evaporate the chemical components contained in their materials and dissolve into the food, which is not good for health.
