Do microwave ovens kill bacteria?

Many people rely on the microwave oven to make their food safe to eat. But it may not always do the trick. Contrary to conventional wisdom, microwaves heat food from the outside in, not from the inside out. read more

Microwave ovens use electromagnetic radiation to heat water molecules in food. It’s the heat, not the microwaves, that’s lethal here; the hotter you make your food, the more likely you are to kill the bacteria in it. read more

Sure. Microwave ovens use electromagnetic radiation to heat water molecules in food. It's the heat, not the microwaves, that's lethal here; the hotter you make your food, the more likely you are to kill the bacteria in it. (Some contend microwave energy itself is fatal to bacteria, but that's unproven.) The key is making the food hot enough uniformly enough for long enough. If it heats unevenly, a common problem in microwaves, some bacteria may survive. read more