Safety Factors

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About

Working with vacuum-packed foods increases the health dangers caused by anaerobic and facultative bacteria—that is, bacteria—that can grow without oxygen. Because cooking temperatures are so low, there is danger that bacteria will not be killed if cooking is not carefully done. Salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and botulism bacteria are the most serious risks.

For these reasons, chefs and health officials are especially cautious about sous vide cooking and have instituted strict guidelines. The following steps summarize the most important aspects of these safety rules: