Will putting moldy bread in the microwave kill the bacteria and make it safe to eat?
I wonder if putting lightly moldy bread in the microwave will kill the bacteria.
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According to the FDA, nope.
Myth: “If I microwave food, the microwaves kill the bacteria, so the food is safe.”
Fact: Microwaves don’t kill bacteria – microwaves generate heat that kills bacteria in foods. Microwave ovens are great time-savers and will kill bacteria when foods are heated to a safe internal temperature. But microwaved foods can cook unevenly because of irregular shapes or variations in thickness. Even turntable-equipped microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive.
Follow package instructions that call for rotating and stirring foods during the cooking process. Observe any called-for stand times—the amount of time after cooking that microwaved food should stand before it is eaten. Check the temperature of microwaved foods with a food thermometer in several spots.
Fact: Microwaves don’t kill bacteria – microwaves generate heat that kills bacteria in foods. Microwave ovens are great time-savers and will kill bacteria when foods are heated to a safe internal temperature. But microwaved foods can cook unevenly because of irregular shapes or variations in thickness. Even turntable-equipped microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave cold spots where harmful bacteria can survive.
Follow package instructions that call for rotating and stirring foods during the cooking process. Observe any called-for stand times—the amount of time after cooking that microwaved food should stand before it is eaten. Check the temperature of microwaved foods with a food thermometer in several spots.
