How to choose a lunch box suitable for microwave heating

Nowadays, all kinds of lunch boxes on the market are really dazzling. Some lunch boxes contain certain toxic substances. 

When they come into contact with certain foods, the toxic substances in them will enter the food and harm people's health. 

Therefore, we should be especially careful when buying lunch boxes to avoid poisoning.

Generally office workers can't go home at noon. They always go to the small restaurants and snack shops outside to buy some cold skin, 

rice noodles, and etc. It's not convenient but also worry about hygiene. It is a good choice to bring food from home, 

but how to choose a lunch box is really a matter of learning.

Various lunch boxes are made of different materials, some are marked with special words for microwave ovens, but the materials are

PP and PP + PS points, and some are not marked.

PP refers to polypropylene, which has excellent mechanical and thermal properties and is used in various performance 

laminates and packaging materials. PS is commonly called hard rubber, ordinary hard rubber, hard and brittle. 

When it is beaten, it emits a metal-like "Ding Dang" sound, which is crisp and sound, commonly known as "sounding gum", 

non-toxic and tasteless. This material can be applied to packaging, and it is non-toxic and tasteless, and it is safe to use. 

The PP material lunch box is softer, and the PS lunch box is slightly harder, and there is no difference in other aspects.

These materials are safe to heat in the microwave oven and do not release toxic substances. It should be noted that the general 

lunch boxes are marked for microwave oven use. Some lids are not made of PP, so pls remove the lid when heated.

How to select?

There are many types of microwave ovens, some of which are suitable for use in microwave ovens, some are not suitable, 

and some may even be harmful to health. Therefore, consumers should carefully select when purchasing microwave ovens. 

The most important thing is to master three elements: 

1 )microwave oven penetration

2 )high temperature resistance

3) meet food hygiene requirements.

1.Glassware

Can be used: including borosilicate glass, glass-ceramic, titanium oxide crystal glass, due to good microwave penetration, 

stable physical and chemical properties, high temperature resistance (up to 500 degrees Celsius or even 1000 degrees Celsius), 

it is suitable for microwave oven using for a long time.Is it safe to use a high borosilicate glass lunch box in a microwave oven?

Can not be used: carved glass, tempered glass, crystal glass products, due to uneven material thickness, cooking oily food will burst, 

it's not suitable for use in microwave ovens.

2.Ceramic

There are heat-resistant ceramics and ordinary ceramics. Plate and other utensils made of heat-resistant ceramics 

are suitable for long-term use in microwave ovens, while ordinary ceramic vessels can only be used for short-time heating.

In particular, ceramic pots containing gold and silver wire will spark when used in a microwave oven, so it is not suitable for use.

3.Plastic

Can be used: polypropylene (PP), polypropylene resin, composite polypropylene, polysulfone and other materials made of 

various utensils, temperature resistance of more than 120 degrees Celsius, can be used for microwave heating.

Can not be used: As for heat-resistant polyethylene (PE), PET plastic, styrene, phenol, melamine and other utensils, must not 

be used in the microwave oven, because these materials are all microwaved, they will melt when heated

Some will also emit toxins and odors, which are harmful to human health.

Preservative film is also a plastic product: one is a common plastic wrap, which can be used when heating vegetables; 

the other is a plastic wrap for microwave ovens, which can be used to heat meat, poultry, and sugar.

4.Metalware

Can not be used: aluminum, stainless steel, enamel and other metal materials of various utensils, because the microwave 

can not penetrate, so the food can not be heated, so it is not suitable for use in the microwave oven.

5.Wooden, paper, etc.

In wet conditions, these vessels can be used in microwave ovens for short periods of time. However, if the time is long, 

the drying of the utensils will lead to overburning. Painted containers of this type are forbidden to be used in microwave 

ovens because of the presence of benzene in the paint, which is caused by microwave heating to contaminate the food.

Conclusion--The most environmentally friendly lunch box

Today's most environmentally friendly portable tableware is a heat-resistant glass crisper that does not release harmful 

substances from food at high temperatures. The high borosilicate heat-resistant glass has a small thermal expansion 

coefficient and a high safety factor. It is not easily broken under sharp temperature changes. There will never be a 

self-explosion phenomenon similar to tempered glass. It has low expansion, thermal shock resistance, high temperature 

resistance, corrosion resistance and strength. A series of excellent performance. The resistance to sudden temperature 

changes is large (≥120 °C) and the heat resistance is up to 500 °C. Heat-resistant glass is mostly used for utensils, bottles, 

crispers, experimental beakers, etc. 

Therefore, it's better to use a lunch box made of borosilicate glass, which is the most environmentally friendly material.