Time-Temperature Pasteurisation for Sous-Vide

Pasteurisation in a sous-vide context is not about reaching a single temperature — it is about achieving a sufficient log-reduction of Salmonella and Listeria through a combination of temperature and time. The two variables are interchangeable within defined limits established by food science. Douglas Baldwin's pasteurisation tables express this as D-values: the time required at a given temperature to reduce pathogen count by 90%. For a 6.5-log Salmonella reduction in chicken, holding at 65°C for 1 minute is sufficient. The same reduction at 60°C takes 25 minutes, and at 57°C it takes several hours. All times must account for the centre of the thickest part reaching bath temperature — not the moment the bag enters the water. Fish carries a separate concern: Anisakis and other parasites require either prior freezing (-20°C for 7 days) or internal temperature above 60°C for 1 minute to render safe. Sous-vide fish at 52°C is texturally ideal but is not parasite-safe without prior freezing — a critical distinction on any menu serving fish with minimal thermal processing. The practical rule: calculate hold time from the moment the thickest point of the item reaches bath temperature, not from bath entry. A 4cm chicken breast at 63°C takes approximately 25 minutes to reach temperature, then requires a further time at temperature to complete pasteurisation. Missing either part of this calculation is a food-safety failure, not a culinary choice.

The sous-vide food safety framework was developed by Dr. Bruno Goussault at CREA, France, and formalised by Douglas Baldwin in his open-access Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking, first published 2008, updated through the 2010s.

Time-temperature parameters primarily control safety and texture rather than flavour chemistry, but cooking at the minimum safe temperature for each protein preserves the most moisture and therefore the most water-soluble flavour compounds.

Pasteurisation = temperature × time, not temperature alone. Calculate hold from equilibration, not bath entry. Fish requires prior freezing for Anisakis safety at low temperatures. Run 20% over Baldwin minimum for service safety. Whole-muscle surface contamination differs from restructured or injected proteins.