HUMAN DIETS COOKED BY MICROWAVE OR CONVENTIONALLY - COMPARATIVE SUBCHRONIC (13-WK) TOXICITY STUDY IN RATS

To compare the possible effects of microwave and conventional cooking on a range of common dietary components, mixed human diets containing beef, potatoes and vegetables were fed to groups of IO male and 10 fem ale Wistar rats for 13 wk. The diet ingredients were cooked by either of the methods in a normal and an abused manner, the latter consisting of the normal treatment followed by two cycles of reheating to approx imately 85 degrees C and cooling. The cooked ingredients were freeze-d ried, ground and mixed with supplements of vitamins and minerals to me et the rat requirements. An additional control group was fed a cereal- based rodent diet. Criteria to assess toxicity included clinical obser vations, ophthalmoscopy, growth, food and water intake, haematology, c linical chemistry, urinalysis, organ weights, micronucleated erythrocy tes in bone marrow, gross examination at autopsy and microscopic exami nation of a wide range of organs. The results indicate no adverse effe cts of the diets cooked by microwave compared with those cooked conven tionally.