A cooking method where vacuum-sealed food is cooked in a precisely controlled water bath, requiring careful time and temperature control for safety.
Sous vide is French for under vacuum, and refers to cooking vacuum-sealed food in a precisely temperature-controlled water bath.
Sous vide often uses lower temperatures, so a safe reduction of pathogens is achieved by holding that lower temperature for a longer, validated time.
Cooking in a low-oxygen pouch at mild temperatures raises concern about anaerobic organisms such as Clostridium botulinum if the process, cooling and storage are not properly controlled.
Yes. It is generally treated as a higher-risk process that should be documented and validated within the food safety program, with time, temperature and cooling monitored.
It should be served immediately or rapidly cooled and refrigerated below 5 degrees Celsius, with a validated shelf life, to keep it safe.