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Three new microwave ovens that had been “approved” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) were each used to heat ten convenience meals. These meals were designed for microwave reheating and packet instructions were followed exactly. The foods were inoculated with 10⊃5−10⊃6/g of both S. typhimurium and L. monocytogenes, and core temperatures and bacterial numbers were measured before and after heating. Some viable listeria were still present in 97 per cent of the meals and viable salmonella in 80 per cent after heating. End core temperatures were much lower than expected with one food only reaching 43°C. The three types of microwave gave similar results. The reasons for these findings and their implications are discussed.