Is It Safe to Microwave Paper Plates and Bowls?

I eat oatmeal for breakfast nearly every single weekday. I keep a stash in my office at work. Each morning, at some point during my radio show, I head to the break room to make my bowl of oatmeal. Usually, I use a glass bowl that I keep in my office. However, yesterday morning, I realized I hadn't washed the thing in days and it was going to need to soak in the sink for a bit. Because I was in a hurry, I didn't have time to mess with it anymore, so I grabbed a paper Dixie Ultra bowl from the cabinet.

As I would with the glass bowl, I dumped my packet of oatmeal in it, used the pouch to add water, popped it in the microwave, followed the label instructions and set it to cook for two minutes, then ran to the restroom quickly.

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When I got back into the break room, there were about 30 seconds left in the cook cycle and I noticed a really weird smell. I immediately wondered if I was smelling the Dixie Ultra bowl. One thing I knew- whatever it was, it certainly didn't smell like my blueberry oatmeal.

I stirred my oatmeal and tasted it. I was convinced it wasn't going to taste right. But, to my surprise, it tasted perfectly fine. But then I wondered- Is it safe to microwave a Dixie Ultra paper bowl (or any other kind of paper plate or bowl)?

To get the answer, I went directly to the Dixie website- Dixie.com. Here's that the site says:

Our products can be used safely in a microwave for reheating food. However, the capabilities of the microwave, the type of food and reheating practices all vary, so we do not make any specific guarantees about the use of our plates and bowls in the microwave. We advise using caution when reheating in a microwave and to always follow the microwave manufacturer's directions.

Hey! Good to know. Now I don't have to wash that glass bowl every day.