The New York City campaign against sous vide cooking
continues, but with a little bit
of new light shed on the subject. As expected, it is not the practices of all chefs who use the technique that are
under fire, but the practices of some who are risking the use of the cooking method for all. According to this week's
New York Times, the cooking technique that locks in moisture and flavor by keeping the food sealed in a vacuum might
also lock in bacteria because some sous vide chefs also store their food in vacuum sealed packages.
Contrary to popular belief, vacuum sealing a food is not enough to prevent the growth of bacteria and cooks who store and cook their food in the same container are risking the health of their customers. In France, where the technique originated, chefs are required to cook food immediately after it has been sealed and cooked to an internal temperature of at least 132.8 degrees F, at which point most of the potential bacteria in the food will have been killed.
The health department's new guidelines will not be released until the summer, and until then chefs who use sous vide in New York risk facing charges of a misdemeanor, with a possibility of imprisonment.
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