Pulling back plastic wrap to a warm rush of steam and the smell of your chicken à l’orange from a box is perhaps the greatest joy of microwave cooking. But covering your cuisine with a plastic cloak before nuking it could transfer some unfriendly substances into your food. Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network (SEHN), says that when plastic wrap gets hot, the chemical compounds that make it flexible, known as phthalates, can migrate into your meal, and they seep most easily into foods containing fat. Though the effect of phthalates on humans isn’t clear, the chemicals have been linked to reproductive problems in laboratory animals, as well as obesity and cancer. So, when it comes to cooking something that will soon be in your body, “It’s safer to avoid plastic food wrap unless you know what’s in it,” says Ted Schettler, science director for SEHN. Fortunately, you can find plastic wrap that is microwave safe. Just look for a label on the box and let harmless heating reign.
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