More than 14,000 social media users share a message advising people to wrap eggs in aluminum foil before placing them in the microwave to cook. However, it is dangerous to place foil in a microwave oven as it can cause sparks and burns. Hard-boiled eggs should also not be heated in the microwave, as this is likely to explode.
The reports (here, here, here) show two photos, one of hard-boiled eggs and the other of eggs wrapped in foil with the caption: ‘Tip: wrap your eggs in aluminum foil and microwave for 2 minutes, much faster!’
Comments and captions show that while some people realize it would be dangerous (“Everyone knows you do not put aluminum foil in the microwave”; “Hope these people do not actually fall for this”; “People no one does”), others takes the advice possibly seriously or is unsure if they will take it seriously or not: “Can you really put aluminum in micro ????”; “Do it while we talk”; “Hmm … won’t the foil blow up in the microwave?”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) explains on its website that ‘no food that is completely covered under the foil or should be placed in a covered metal pan in a microwave oven, because food cannot absorb not. the microwaves. If you use the oven empty or if the food is completely wrapped in aluminum foil, the oven can be damaged and the food will not heat up ”(here). The FDA reiterates that foods that are completely covered with aluminum foil should not be placed in the microwave here.
The electric fields in microwaves cause charges to flow through metal. Thin pieces of metal such as aluminum foil are overwhelmed by these currents and cause them to heat up so fast that they can ignite. If the foil has sharp edges or wrinkles, the streams can form sparks, which can also cause a fire (here, here, here).
Here and here you can watch videos of what happens when you place aluminum foil in the microwave.
Hard-boiled eggs heated in the microwave can explode if they are bitten or someone bites into them (here, here, here). There is no scientific consensus on why this is happening.
Examples of this can be seen in videos here and here.
Advice on how to use a microwave oven to cook eggs does not contain the use of aluminum foil and can be seen here and here. Inserting a small hole in the egg is recommended.
VERDICT
Untrue. Aluminum foil should not be placed in the microwave as it may cause fire, and hard-boiled eggs should not be reheated in the microwave as it is likely to explode.
This article was produced by the Reuters Fact Check team. Read more about our fact-checking work here.