Question:
What kills more bacteria for the
recommended cooking time in a microwave and a conventional oven?
Replies:
I hope I understand your question.
The time it takes to get your food done is sufficient
to kill all bacteria--but not the spores of certain
bacteria--both by microwave cooking and in a
conventional oven. The spores are not a problem when
the food is consumed directly but can be a health
hazard when food is bottled and stored. See
recommendations at
http://www.cfia-acia.agr.ca/english/corpaffr/foodfacts/perfrine.shtml
on Clostridium, one of the most dangerous causes of
food poinsoning. Or visit the display on Food Safety
in the Virtual Museum of Bacteria
(www.bacteriamuseum.org) at
www.bacteriamuseum.org/niches/foodsafety/foodsafety.shtml
For both ways of food preparation a word of warning:
if food is NOT thoroughly heated and done (e.g. inside
a piece of meat, or a meal containing battered eggs)
there can still be living bacteria (Salmonella,
Campylobacter, E.coli) left that can cause food
poisoning--by both methods. Also, toxins produced by
bacteria on spoiled food are NOT inactivated by
microwave cooking--so food that has gone off DOES NOT
become safe (or tasty!) in a microwave. Kitchen
hygiene measurements are applicable to both ways of
cooking--the one method is not safer than the other.
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