East Suffolk Council
Sous vide cooking
Sous vide is French for 'under vacuum' and describes a method of cooking in vacuum sealed plastic pouches at low temperatures for long periods. It differs from conventional cooking methods as the raw food is vacuum sealed in plastic pouches and the food is cooked using precisely controlled heating methods.
This method of cooking is said to maintain the integrity of the ingredients and therefore should produce foods with enhanced flavours. However this method can also carry significant potential food safety risks and needs to be carefully controlled.
Our Sous vide cooking guidance leaflet describes the key food-borne pathogens associated with sous vide products, the legal requirements for putting in place procedures to demonstrate safe working practices when using sous vide, and the cooking core temperature recommendations for cooking foods under vacuum.