Food safety tips for microwaves

Using a microwave to defrost, cook, and reheat food is convenient and

makes our day-to-day lives a lot easier. Still, it's important to
remember that food poisoning can occur because of unsafe
microwave cooking practices or improper food handling techniques.
The following microwave cooking tips will help you prevent food
poisoning.

Defrosting food in the microwave

 Use only containers, lids, and wraps that are microwave-safe.

Remove food from any packaging that isn't microwave-safe.
 Defrost food completely before cooking it in a microwave. Having
frozen and thawed portions in the same food can lead to uneven
cooking.
 Cook food immediately after defrosting.

Did you know?

Use only containers, lids, and wraps that are microwave-safe.
Remove food from any packaging that isn't microwave-safe--such as
styrofoam trays or some plastic containers--before heating. This type
of packaging could melt or warp, potentially causing harmful
chemicals to leach into food.
Cooking food in the microwave
Thorough cooking is one of the best ways to kill bacteria that may be
present in food. Because microwaves can cook food unevenly, always
use a digital food thermometer to check the internal temperature.

General instructions
1. Cover food with a microwave-safe lid or plastic wrap that does
not touch the food. Covering food in the microwave will help cook
it evenly and thoroughly. Leave a small gap so that steam can
escape.
2. Cut food into small pieces. Smaller pieces cook more evenly.
3. Arrange food items in a single layer on microwave-safe
cookware for uniform cooking.
4. Follow your recipe or instructions on the food's packaging. Adjust
cooking times based on the power of your microwave. Food will
take longer to reach a safe internal temperature in a lower-
powered microwave.
5. Rotate and stir food several times during cooking to ensure that
the heat is distributed evenly.
6. Observe standing times for microwaved food after cooking.
Standing times complete the cooking and allow for better heat
distribution within the food. Always check the internal
temperature before eating.

Tips for meat, poultry, and seafood

Do

 Debone larger pieces of meat and poultry since bones can cause
uneven heating.
 Place thicker portions of meat and poultry around the outside of
the dish.
  Turn the pieces at least once during cooking.
 Cook larger pieces of meat at 50% power for a longer period of
time. This allows more time to heat the meat without overcooking
it.
 Cook all meat, poultry and seafood to a safe internal cooking
temperature.

Do not

 Never cook whole, stuffed poultry in the microwave. The size

and density of the bird does not allow for even cooking.
 Never partially cook meat, poultry, or seafood in the microwave.
If you're using the microwave to defrost, immediately cook the
food by using another cooking method such as a grill, an oven,
or a stovetop.
 Do not use the microwave to cook frozen raw breaded chicken
products. This can result in uneven cooking, and some parts of
the product may be undercooked.

Reheating leftovers in the

microwave
 Reheat leftovers to a safe internal temperature of 74ºC (165ºF).
Use a digital food thermometer to check the temperature.
 Rotate and stir food midway through reheating to distribute heat
evenly.
 Reheat only the amount of food required and put the rest of the
leftovers back in the refrigerator. Avoid reheating the same
leftovers more than once.

Did you know?

Do not reuse trays and containers that come with microwave dinners
or take-out. These trays and containers are usually designed for one-
time use only and may not be safe for microwave use.
What the Government of Canada
does to protect you
The Government of Canada is committed to food safety.
Health Canada establishes regulations and standards relating to the
safety and nutritional quality of foods sold in Canada. Through
inspection and enforcement activities, the Canadian Food Inspection
Agency verifies that food sold in Canada meets Health Canada's
requirements.
For more information
 Safe food handling tips
 Food recalls and advisories
 Report product-related health and safety concerns
 Food Safety Portal