What would you do if you were microwaving ham from an Oscar Mayer Lunchables – and saw it sparking and arcing as if it were aluminum foil? Would you give it to your child to eat? A local mom called Ruth to the Rescue for answers when the “Lunchables light show” happened in her microwave.
I launched an investigation by testing Lunchables here at Local 4. When we put the cubed ham in our microwave we saw the same sparks flying. Then we saw a video on YouTube showing the same phenomenon viewed by thousands of consumers. We also read comments on the internet from worried parents who didn’t understand what was happening and were wary of feeding Lunchables to their children.
I interviewed an Oscar Mayer spokeswoman who was very familiar with the Lunchables light show. She said when the chunks of ham are placed close together the sodium in the meat is acting as “an energy bridge” causing the ham cubes to arc. She went on to say there’s no reason to microwave Lunchables cubed ham, and pointed out the warning on the label not to microwave the product. She said Oscar Meyer has lowered the sodium content in their products and is looking for ways to lower it even more.
I discovered the microwave warning label had been placed on Lunchables after complaints about sparking meat. The local mom who’d alerted me to the problem said her pediatrician told her to microwave lunch meat to guard against Listeria bacteria that thrives in cold temperatures. The Oscar Meyer spokeswoman told me the company has in place Listeria controls and Lunchables are safe to eat.
Desite Oscar Meyer’s explaination, too many consumers are still concerned about Lunchables safety. So – I’m going to take the ham to a labratory and have it tested for content. Is sodium the culprit, or is there something else in the ham that’s causing the sparks? Stay tuned. I’ll share the lab test findings as soon as we get them back.
Watch my story: http://www.clickondetroit.com/family/18964889/detail.html
Ruth To The Rescue 
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