The sudden rise of food delivery apps increased the presence of plastic takeout containers in our lives and kitchens and even sparked a food prep and storage trend.

Chances are, you've considered whether plastic takeout containers are microwave-safe, perhaps concluding that the effort of washing dishes outweighed the risk of microwaving them — but a recent CNET article explained why they're likely more dangerous than they appear.

What's happening?

In addition to relieving consumers of the tasks of buying and cooking food, ordering takeout eliminates the slightly less arduous task of wrapping leftovers for future meals.

Nowadays, more often than not, takeout containers are made of plastic. Moreover, when food delivery migrated to apps, the likelihood of receiving food cold enough to require reheating became far more commonplace.

As a result, consumers are almost certainly eating more food from plastic takeout containers, microwaving it more frequently, and — crucially — assuming that the absence of warnings to the contrary means the practice is necessarily low-risk or risk-free.

CNET spoke to food service experts to pin down a definitive answer about whether plastic takeout containers are microwave-safe. Unsurprisingly, they didn't recommend it.

Miami-based executive chef Ricardo Jarquin stipulated that takeout containers "need to be labeled as heat-safe" for microwave use, and most aren't.

"Most restaurants do not use them [safe containers] because they're more expensive," Jarquin added. CNET noted that "plastic takeout containers … should never be used to reheat food."

Why is this concerning?

According to Beyond Plastics, an organization working to combat plastic pollution, plastic particles enter food when it's heated.

Microplastics weren't formally identified until 2004, but in the two decades since, research has identified an array of adverse environmental and health effects associated with them.

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Microplastics are pervasive in the air, water, and soil. More worryingly, scientists have linked microplastics with a number of potential health risks, from heart attacks to dementia and cancer.

Microwaving plastic takeout containers isn't the only thing that causes them to leach microplastics and nanoplastics into food, either. 

Plastic food storage containers are often marketed as freezer-safe, but low temperatures can also cause them to break down.

As CNET noted, manufacturers including Ziploc and Rubbermaid have been sued over claims their products are safe for microwave and freezer use despite the risk of microplastic contamination.

What can we do about it?

Though consumers have little control over how restaurants package takeout, that doesn't mean exposure to microplastics is inevitable.

Using less plastic, replacing everyday items with plastic-free alternatives, and ditching single-use plastics such as grocery bags make a huge difference.

At home, ditching plastic food storage goes a long way to keeping plastic out of food — and you can even bring safe takeout containers with you when you dine out. 

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