You've probably seen the warnings about putting aluminum foil in microwave ovens, for fear the metal would spark, arc and burn in the high power RF field. According to a recent study from the European Aluminum Foil Association (EAFA), there is no need to worry about aluminum in the microwave.
The EAFA said in a statement issued last week, that conclusive evidence has been established by a study from the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV in Freising, Germany, that aluminum foil packaging can be used safely in microwave ovens.
The study focused on the use of aluminum foil in prepackaged foods, rather than consumers using foil to cover items in the microwave. Results show that no damage to ovens was found in over 200 tests with food portions heated in aluminum containers or packs containing aluminum foil. Actually, in some cases the foil enhanced the appearance of food.
Thomas Pfeiffer, author of the study said, "The Fraunhofer Institute conducted the heating procedures with the microwave ovens set at maximum power and there was not a single case of damage to the microwave ovens or danger to the users."
For details on the study, see Alufoil packaging gets 'thumbs up' for use in microwave ovens from the European Aluminum Foil Association.
