Microwave ovens do not make the food ‘radioactive’. Japan’s government is not disposing of them - FACTLY
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
January 21, 2020
A post is being shared widely on social media with a claim that the Japanese government has decided to dispose of all the microwave ovens in their country by this year-end. There is also another claim that food heated in a microwave oven has radiation.  Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
The Japan government has decided to dispose of all microwave ovens by this year-end.
Fact: No such decision was taken by the Japan government. The news was first published by a satirical Russian website. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
When searched on Google whether the Japanese government has taken such a decision, it was found that no credible news agency has reported about any such decision and the news was first published by a Russian website [‘panorama’] in March-2019. On the website, in the ‘Disclaimer’, it can be read that all the articles on the website are satirical and fictitious. So, the Japanese government has not decided to ban or dispose of microwave ovens. Previously, the same claim has also been debunked by Snopes.
Microwave oven makes the food radioactive.
Fact: According to WHO, the food cooked in a microwave oven does not become ‘radioactive’. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
On the WHO website, it can be read that ‘food cooked in a microwave oven does not become “radioactive”.’ Even in the article by US Food and Drug Administration on the ‘Microwave Oven Radiation’, it can be read that ‘the microwave energy is changed to heat as it is absorbed by food, and does not make food “radioactive” or “contaminated”.’
Other myths and realities regarding microwave ovens can be seen on the websites of ‘Yashoda Hospitals’ and ‘Harvard Medical School’.
There are also some other recommendations, in the post, allegedly recommended in a conference held at ‘Kashira Cancer Center’. But, when searched on Google, there is no information regarding the existence of ‘Kashira Cancer Center’.
To sum it up, Japan’s government is not disposing of microwave ovens. Microwave ovens do not make the food ‘radioactive’
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