Sous Vide Technology
Sous vide, also known as cuisine en papillote sous vide, is an interrupted catering system in which raw or par-cooked food is sealed in to a vacuumised laminated plastic pouch or container, heat treated by controlled cooking, rapidly chilled and then reheated for service after a period of chilled storage. The chilled storage period is up to 21 days at 0 to 30C. The recommended thermal process for sous vide products is 900C for 10 min, or its time-temperature equivalent. Sous vide has been used mostly in catering and food service sectors, but more recently it is being used in the ready-meals sector.
Sous vide/freezing of ready-meals
Freezing of sous vide foods, compared with chilling, minimises the risk of growth of Clostridium botulinum spores and extends product shelf-life. However, freezing, post-sous vide treatment could adversely effect product texture. Sous vide time/temperature values have been determined in the current project to deliver ideal textures (pre-determined by sensory tests) in 10 sous vide/frozen foods which have application as ready-meal components. Freezing post-sous vide softened the texture of carrots, broccoli, potato slices and pasta shells compared with sous vide/chilling, whereas the opposite effect was found for salmon, cod and rice. Safety aspects have focused on the thermal inactivation of Listeria innocua in a range of sous vide model products, and all applied stresses were simulated on the inoculum prior to inoculation. Supply chain management issues for sous vide products are being addressed from a production control viewpoint.
Contact
Fergal Tansey, ftansey@nfc.teagasc.ie
