Recently, the epidemic situation has rebounded in many places, but everyone has a strong sense of prevention. Some netizens are worried that the takeout package will be infected with the virus, so they will heat the meal together with the disposable lunch box in the microwave oven.

However, online transmission of disposable lunch box heating is toxic, and long-term consumption of meals in disposable lunch box may cause cancer. So, is disposable lunch box heating really toxic?

In this regard, the reporter of China food safety network interviewed Zhu Yi, an associate professor of the school of food science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University.

"Whether the disposable lunch box is toxic depends on the material." Associate Professor Zhu Yi said, "there are basically two kinds of disposable lunch boxes in circulation on the market, polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS)."

Polypropylene (PP) disposable food boxes can be heated at a high temperature of no more than 120 ℃ and can be put into microwave ovens or steamers.

However, polystyrene (PS) food containers, that is, disposable polystyrene foam lunch boxes, can only be heated to 90 ℃. After heating at more than 90 ℃, styrene will be released into food, which is harmful to human liver and kidney function and central nervous system. If used for a long time, it may even cause cancer.

Some businesses will also balance the cost by using polypropylene for the box body and polypropylene for the box cover. This is why when you take the disposable lunch box out of the microwave oven, you sometimes see that the lunch box cover has melted and deformed, and even some small holes appear.

If you encounter this kind of "splicing material" disposable lunch box, it is safer to take off the box cover or change a self-use lunch box cover for heating.