Microwave your foods safely  University Park, Pa. — For many
consumers, microwaving has become the primary method of heating
food, providing convenience and time savings. But a food-safety
expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says
recent outbreaks of foodborne illness have been associated with
microwaved foods, and several factors may be responsible.
Martin Bucknavage, food-safety extension associate in the
Department of Food Science, points to a Centers for Disease
Control report last year that linked 272 salmonellosis cases to
the consumption of chicken potpies, many of which were cooked in
microwave ovens.  "In these cases, it was believed that the
microwave cooking process was inadequate or uneven, thereby
allowing the Salmonella bacteria to survive and infect the
individuals who ate the potpie," Bucknavage said. "Also, the
microwave cooking instructions for the potpies may not have
taken into account variations that exist in microwave heating.
Studies have demonstrated that microwavin