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Cooking sous vide for food businesses
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‘Sous vide’ is French for ‘under vacuum’. It is a cooking method where food is sealed in a vacuum pouch and cooked at a controlled temperature, often for longer periods than traditional cooking methods.
Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, food businesses must use processes that are known to achieve food safety. Sous vide can be used safely in restaurants when cooking, cooling, storage and reheating processes are carefully controlled.
Food safety risks
There are 3 main food safety risks associated with sous vide cooking:
Food held in the temperature danger zone too long Food held between 5°C and 60°C for extended periods can allow harmful bacteria to grow. This can occur during:
low-temperature, long-time cooking
cooling cooked food
reheating food.
Extended refrigerated storage Vacuum-packed foods stored under refrigeration for extended periods may support the growth of cold-tolerant pathogens, including:
Listeria monocytogenes
Clostridium botulinum.
Raw or undercooked foods Some sous vide processes use temperatures and cooking times that leave food effectively raw or undercooked. Harmful bacteria, viruses and parasites may survive if food does not receive an adequate cooking process.
Reduce the risks
Prepare thinner portions so food heats and cools quickly. Thicker foods take longer for the centre to reach the target temperature, increasing the importance of accurate time and temperature control.
Avoid overcrowding food in water baths.
Use a water bath temperature of at least 55°C so bacterial growth is prevented.
Limit the time food spends below 54.5°C during cooking to no more than 6 hours.
Use commercial equipment with adequate heating capacity and accurate temperature control.
Check food and water temperatures using a calibrated, tip-sensitive digital thermometer accurate to 0.1°C.
Cool food rapidly after cooking.
Do not store food for extended periods unless the process has been validated as safe.
Avoid combining multiple risk factors, such as cooking large portions of mechanically tenderised meat at low temperatures for long periods.
Use validated recipes, cooking schedules and documented procedures for preparing, cooking, cooling, storing and reheating food.
Equipment and monitoring
Sous vide relies on precise temperature control. Use commercial-grade equipment that:
maintains a stable cooking temperature
has adequate heating capacity for the volume of food being cooked
recovers temperature quickly after food is added
is regularly checked and maintained.
Monitor cooking temperatures with a calibrated digital thermometer and keep records where appropriate, including:
cooking temperatures and times
cooling temperatures and times
refrigerated storage temperatures
reheating temperatures
thermometer calibration checks
corrective actions taken when limits are exceeded.
Keeping records helps demonstrate the process is working as intended.
Cooling and refrigeration
If food is not served immediately after cooking cool it:
from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours, then
from 21°C to 5°C within a further 4 hours.
Keep it at or below 5°C during storage.
Cooling methods
Cooling sous vide products in an ice water bath that is at least half ice (slush ice) is a common cooling method used in restaurants and homes. The times depend on the thickness and shape of the food (as the thickness of a food doubles, the cooling time triples). For a guide on cooling sous vide in slush ice, see Table 4 in Sous vide food safety precautions for businesses（https://www.foodauthority.nsw.gov.au/media/9420） (PDF, 760 KB).