Microwave Oven Safety: FDA Regulations & Usage Guidelines

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.