Sous Vide Food Safety

Sous-Vide Safety
Vacuum-packing has been used to enhance the storage life of cooked products, up to 30 days at 34°F. About 90% of the bacteria that cause food spoilage need oxygen to survive. Since vacuum packaging removes most of the air (and therefore oxygen) from food, spoilage is slowed drastically if the proper steps are taken. Oxidation witch cause food to discolor and reduce nutrients is also greatly reduced by utilizing vacuum-packing. However some foods like cut apples and artichokes do not turn brown quickly in vacuum pouches. In long-term storage, vacuum bags can prevent the oxygen-produced rancidity of unsaturated fats. Low-moisture products like dehydrated fruit chips tend to stay crispy indefinitely in the low-moisture vacuum environment.
Unfortunately, some bacteria that cause illness (pathogens) are not inhibited by a lack of oxygen. In fact, some of the most dangerous bacteria thrive only in the absence of oxygen. If sous-vide products are kept in unsafe conditions, these pathogens can grow to dangerous levels without the simultaneous spoilage that would normally signal their presence. This is why it is important to adhere to safety rules when using sous-vide. You must have a specific HACCP plan that has been approved by your State Health Department that addresses these issues. Then you must make sure that all the steps in your plan are being done 100% of the time. Your holding temperature should be at or below 34°F. (1°C)
Vacuum bagged foods are very effective in controlling cross-contamination that accounts for nearly 90% of all food borne illness outbreaks. The food is handled minimally before being placed in a sterile environment. Even if an employee has failed to properly wash their hands or change their gloves, their contaminated hands/gloves, cannot come in contact with the bagged food. Transportation of SV food is easy, and each bag is individually protected from spills and other dangers, such as a raw product dripping onto a cooked product.