As part of this study, we examined the practicality of sous vide cooking methods recommended by various user software for pork, chicken and lamb, with a focus on the production of safely edible food. For this purpose, ten raw meat samples from each of the animal species mentioned were selected. Two previously generated sub-samples were cooked sous vide at 55 °C or 65 °C for approximately 60 minutes, and then their germ content was determined.
In addition to the presence of foodborne pathogens Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter spp. and Shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC), the amount of germ reduction achieved through the cooking process was also of interest. Furthermore, we also undertook comparative testing of the sous vide cooked products. Our results showed that a sous vide cooking process at 55 °C for 60 minutes was not dependably sufficient to kill foodborne pathogens; the reduction of the original micro­flora to a level of less than 200 CFU/g was not achieved in all sub-samples cooked at 55 °C. However, 60 minutes of sous vide cooking at 65 °C was sufficient to obtain safe food. The degree of cooking the sub-samples at 55 °C was mainly described as medium. Under cooking conditions at 65 °C, the pork, chicken and lamb cuts were mostly well-done. In addition, the meat cuts cooked sous vide at 55 °C had a softer consistency than the meat cooked at 65 °C.
In summary, our research shows that the recommended conditions for sous vide cooking methods through various user software do not always lead to safer food, as the heat is insufficient to render the meats safe to eat.