The epidemic has slowed down recently, but people's awareness of prevention is still very strong. Some netizens are worried that the take-out packaging will be infected with viruses, so they put the meals together with the disposable lunch box in the microwave oven for heating.

The heating of online disposable lunch boxes is toxic, and long-term consumption of meals in disposable lunch boxes may cause cancer.

Is heating a disposable lunch box really toxic?

In response, a reporter from "China Food Safety Net" interviewed Zhu Yi, an associate professor in the School of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University.

“Whether disposable lunch boxes are toxic depends on their materials.” Associate Professor Zhu Yi said, “There are basically two types of disposable lunch boxes currently on the market, polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS). )."

The disposable lunch box made of polypropylene (PP) can be heated at a high temperature not exceeding 120°, and can be placed in a microwave oven or a steamer.

However, polystyrene (PS) lunch boxes, that is, disposable polystyrene foam lunch boxes, can only be heated to 90°. After heating over 90°, styrene will be released into the food, which is harmful to the liver and kidney function of the human body and the central nervous system. If used for a long time, there is even a risk of cancer.

Some businesses also use polypropylene for the box body and polypropylene for the lid to balance costs. This is why people sometimes see that the lid of the disposable lunch box has melted and deformed and even some small holes appear after taking out the disposable lunch box from the microwave.

If you encounter this kind of "spliced ​​material" disposable lunch box, it is safer to remove the lid or replace it with a self-use lunch box lid for heating.