Microwave-safe containers when it comes to microwaving food tend to include materials such as ceramic, glass (particularly thick glass though), wax paper, plastic cover (think Saran wrap or Reynolds wrap), baking paper, and specifically marked microwave-safe plastic.
So is Littonware microwave safe? That’s a pretty silly question. Keep on reading to know exactly why this is the case. The makers of manufactured plastic Littonware actually developed it with microwaves in mind.
Is Littonware Microwave-Safe or Not?
Yes, it is. In fact, like its competitor Anchor Hocking, Littonware plastic cookware has gotten the seal of approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in microwaves. It’s marketed as manufactured plastic microwave cookware.
You’re supposed to use it with a microwave. It’s like Rubbermaid Brilliance or Tupperware—all of which belong to the BPA-free plastic category. Their plastics have been tested to not leach off BPA or plasticizers unto food when used with a microwave.
Even less likely, they do not melt, combust, or release carcinogens when microwaved because of their thermal resistance and thickness.
Is Littonware Still Being Manufactured or Not?
The makers of Littonware products don’t make them anymore, from their microwaveable plastic food containers to their grilling plates. The brand remains in the past but persists in the present. As far as plastic containers go, you’re likelier to encounter Rubbermaid Brilliance or Tupperware lunchboxes.
Plenty of the best items end up no longer being available at present, but you might get your hands on an antique Littonware plastic cookware as a hand-me-down or when searching on eBay and Craiglist. In such cases, rest assured that these food containers do resist microwaving.
You obviously can’t place the Littonware grilling plate inside the microwave since that’s mostly for grilling pork or lamb chops as well as steaks and burgers. It’s a different item altogether.
Can You Safely Microwave BPA-Free Plastics?
Yes. In fact, container manufacturers advertise their plastic containers as BPA-free to indicate that you can safely microwave them. However, to err on the side of caution, microwave food inside BPA-free plastics if it’s going to be consumed by adults.
Kids should have their lunches microwaved in ceramic containers. Why? You should make sure to reduce exposure to BPA as much as possible. Even so-called BPA-free plastics might end up leaching BPA in your food if they’re somehow damaged or compromised by age!
A container advertised as BPA-free plastic might not even be completely free of BPA leaching—it’s just determined by the FDA that its leaching doesn’t exceed the safe level. Even BPA-free plastics release chemicals with estrogen activity after they’ve been microwaved.
See more: Can You Microwave Plastic?
BPA Side Effects as well as Plastics with BPA
Hair loss might happen directly due to the estrogen-mimicking property of BPA or indirectly care of the changes in lipid levels. You can also end up with an increased risk for obesity because BPA increases blood sugar levels and blocks thyroid hormone activity.
You can search for BPA-free plastics or BPA-filled plastics by looking at the recycling codes imprinted on the underside of the product. Code 2 or #2 Plastics made of HDPE or high-density polyethylene tend to have loads of BPA. They’re used to make shampoo bottles, toys, and laundry soap containers.
Is BPA-Free Plastics Still Bad for You?
BPA-free plastics can still be harmful to human health when microwaved regularly with food. They can contaminate baby food, for example, which can harm the developing brain of the infant. Ditto with children and teenagers who themselves still require some growing or maturation.
In other words, even BPA-free plastics leach low levels of BPA into food. They’re just considered too small to concern most adults according to the safety standards of the FDA and USDA.
According to a University of Missouri study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, this is truly the case.
What Does BPA Do to Your Body?
The plasticizer known as Bisphenol-A (BPA) serves as an endocrine disruptor. It can imitate your hormones and disrupt the elimination, function, action, transportation, secretion, and production of your natural hormones while it’s present.
It’s a strange chemical you don’t want inside your body at high doses. It can behave similarly to estrogen and other hormones in the body, leading to various side effects down the line if you don’t avoid it.
Littonware plastic containers don’t leach off BPA when microwaved the same way you could dependably microwave Rubbermaid Brilliance and Tupperware containers for food reheating even when taken straight from the freezer or refrigerator.
Can Your Remove BPA from Your Body?
As a ubiquitous chemical contaminate, BPA has established links with adverse side effects on the wellbeing of the average person. The present-day understanding of BPA toxicokinetics remains incomplete and requires expansion still.
No one knows any established interventions to eliminate the compound from the human body. No studies regarding BPA removal have been started either. However, in regards to whether BPA could kill you or not, it’s more of a matter of preventing sickness.
Anything in excess could adversely affect your health to the point of death. You can have too much of a good thing and you most certainly can have too much of a bad thing. BPA won’t kill you if you live a moderated life and avoid microwaving microwave-unsafe containers.
Can You Reverse the Effects of BPA?
According to a Harvard Medical School study in the U.S. by Maria Fernanda Hornos Carneiro, BPA causes many harmful effects related to hormone levels. You can also reverse such effects by using a supplement known as Coenzyme Q10 or CoQ10.
The body naturally produces this substance. It could also be found in fish and beef. In short, the study claims those with BPA poisoning could reverse its effects by administrating CoQ10 upon themselves.
To Summarize
The makers of Littonware plastic containers manufactured the product using a light-brown, high-temperature polymer that’s lighter than metal or glass. You can place it directly into your freezer then out into the oven or microwave to reheat its food contents.
You can’t use it in direct contact with the heating element, like in the case of grills or stoves. You can compare it to Le Creuset stoneware or other stoneware types in that aspect. It can resist thermal shock and it’s BPA-free so it won’t contaminate your food with plasticizers when microwaved.
References:
- “What are the benefits of using a Littonware microwave cookware?“, Quora.com, December 24, 2016
- Joe Ford, “What is Littonware made of?“, AnswerstoAll.com, April 21, 2021
