New Study Warns About Contamination of Baby Food When Reheated in the Microwave

New parents use a number of tricks and gadgets that can help them take care of their children and save them more time, such as reheating food in the microwave.

The Dangers of Reheating Baby Food in Plastic Bags

But experts warn that this time-saving ploy could contaminate baby food, as a team of food scientists, engineers, and environmentalists at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln found that large amounts of microplastic particles are released from the plastic bags in which baby food is packaged when heated in the microwave.

These are small pieces of plastic debris that are not visible to the naked eye but often contain toxic chemicals that pollute the environment.

According to a recent report, we inadvertently ingest credit card worth of microplastics per week, which can enter the upper respiratory tract.

The Research Process

Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln tried to figure out what happens when a lot of baby food packaged in small plastic bags is heated in the microwave.

They bought a batch of microwave products and then tested them.

The researchers watched the plastic bags react to the microwave rather than the food itself, then removed the food and washed the bags, filling some bags with deionized nanowater to mimic liquid foods and others with acetic acid to mimic acidic foods.

The researchers heated these food wrappers in the microwave for varying periods of time and then measured how much plastic particles got into the simulated food.

They also kept water and containers filled with acetic acid in the refrigerator to keep track of how much plastic was released without heating the “food”.

The Findings

The results of the study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, show that although the amount of microplastics varies greatly, all simulated baby food samples contained significant amounts of plastic.

For example, the contents of one bag that was stored in the refrigerator for six months were enclosed in approximately 580,000 microplastics ranging in size from 1 to 14 micrometers.

The same container then spewed another four million particles into the baby food when it was heated in the microwave.

Conclusion

Doctors have previously warned that some baby food packages may contain more sugar than regular soft drinks.

As parents strive to provide the best care for their children, it is important to be aware of potential risks associated with reheating baby food in plastic bags in the microwave.

Source: Sun