The confrontation of consumer beliefs about the impact of microwave-processing on food and human health with existing research

Currently, consumer opinions are often shaped by information in the media such as on television or the Internet. This information, however, is not always compatible with scientific evidence. Despite the increasing awareness of consumers, there are still many concerns about the health and safety of using domestic microwave ovens. In this study, the sentiments of consumers related to the use of microwave ovens were examined. Although most sentiments were found to be neutral and positive, still, a relatively large number of consumers perceive microwave treatment negatively, which is the result of fear regarding the use of this technology. As shown by the results, the most frequent beliefs that could discourage consumers from using microwave processing for food were the negative impact of microwaves on the food product safety and its nutritional quality, on the food safety due to its packaging and on the surrounding environment. The aim of this manuscript was to confront the current state of scientific knowledge with consumer perception. A literature review showed that, in most cases, microwaves can be an attractive alternative method to conventional food processing methods in terms of its nutritional quality, mainly due to shorter processing time. Microwaved food is also safe if it is heated in packaging intended for this purpose, and the microwave ovens do not pose a threat to human surroundings. The results of this article may help form targeted educational strategies to mitigate the inappropriate consumer beliefs about the use of microwaves within the food industry. • Consumer sentiment about microwaved food and microwave safety were reviewed. • Some consumers exhibit negative attitude towards the use of microwaves for food. • Three main consumer’ concerns were related to microwaved food, its packaging, and surroundings. • The review of literature proved that most of the concerns were unfounded. • It is important to further educate consumers about the advantages of microwaves for food processing.