Attention: These are foods that should never be heated in a microwave oven

Microwave is a welcome help in the kitchen for many, but there are certain foods that become even dangerous if you heat them in it.

Hard boiled eggs

Hard-boiled eggs, whether they are peeled or not, are very problematic to reheat in the microwave. When such an egg is exposed to microwaves, the moisture inside creates a great pressure, which can cause the egg to explode! Worse, an egg usually doesn't crack in the microwave, but later — meaning a hot egg can explode in your hand, on your plate, or even in your mouth. To avoid this danger, cut the egg into small pieces before heating.

Mother's milk

Many new mothers freeze and store their milk for later use, which is a great practice, but only if the milk is not heated in the microwave. Just as microwaves heat plates of food unevenly, they can also heat a bottle of breast milk unevenly, making individual parts really hot and can seriously burn a baby's mouth and throat. In addition, there is a risk of the release of carcinogens during heating of the plastic.

Rice

Rice and the microwave really go together, you think. Yes, but only when cooking, not heating. According to the Food Standards Agency, heating rice in the microwave can sometimes lead to food poisoning. The problem with rice is the presence of the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which is very resistant. Heat kills the bacterium, but as it grows, the bacterium can produce spores that are surprisingly heat-resistant and toxic. According to studies, when heated rice is left at room temperature, these spores can multiply and cause food poisoning.

A chicken

The most important thing to know about microwave ovens is that their heat does not always kill all bacteria because microwave heat spreads from the outside in, not the other way around. Therefore, certain foods that are more prone to bacteria have a higher risk of causing illness as the bacterial cells survive. With that in mind, it's clear why chicken, which may be contaminated with salmonella, is a dangerous food to microwave.

Leafy vegetables

If you want to save green leafy vegetables like celery, kale or spinach for later, reheat them in a conventional oven instead of a microwave. When heating leafy greens in the microwave, natural nitrates (which are very beneficial in themselves) can be converted into nitrosamines, which can be carcinogenic, studies show.

Hot peppers

When hot peppers are heated in the microwave, capsaicin – the chemical that gives them their hot taste – is released into the air. However, this chemical can irritate the eyes and throat. This is also evidenced by the incident from New York, when the entire apartment building was evacuated, because many residents had breathing problems and started coughing due to the heating of hot peppers in the microwave oven.