Microwave Oven Radiation Safety

The Food and Drug Administration set regulations on the manufacture of microwave ovens in 1971. Based on current knowledge about microwave radiation, the FDA believes that FDA-approved microwave ovens that are operated according to the manufacturer's instructions are safe to use.

Considerations

• The FDA implements a product radiation control program that enforces performance standards for electronic products to ensure that radiation emissions are not a safety threat. According to the FDA website, the amount of microwaves that can leak from an oven during its lifetime, based on the federal standard limit, is 5 milliwatts of microwave radiation per square centimeter at approximately 2 inches from the surface of the oven. The FDA website also states that this limit is far below the level known to harm people.

Misconceptions

• Allegations of radiation injury from microwave ovens have been proven false, as injury was not a direct result of microwave exposure. Injuries reported have been burns from hot food, steam burns from cooked food and splatters from hot grease.

Precautions

• According to the FDA website, for safe microwave operation, do not operate a microwave if the door does not tightly close, is warped, bent or damaged. Do not operate a microwave if there is a chance that it will continue to operate with the door open. Do not stand directly against a microwave for a long period while the oven is in operation.