Is it Safe to Sous Vide in Any Plastic Bag? (2024)

Learn what health experts have to say about this popular cooking technique.

Marge Perry has been writing and broadcasting about food, nutrition, and cooking for more than 25 years. Her award-winning work appears in many of the largest national magazines and newspapers and over 20 cookbooks. Her passion is further highlighted in her Allrecipes column, Food for Thought.

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Updated on May 14, 2021

Is it Safe to Sous Vide in Any Plastic Bag? (2)

The first time I saw boil-in-a-bag rice, I was horrified — and also a little dumbfounded. I couldn't understand how the plastic wouldn't melt when boiled. And even if it didn't melt, wouldn't it leech chemicals into my food?

Years later in culinary school, we learned to sous vide — essentially, to cook (but not boil) food in plastic bags. Sous vide is a very old cooking technique that literally translates to "under vacuum." The idea is that when you put food in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag and submerge it in water heated to a specific temperature (generally under 190 degrees Fahrenheit), it cooks incredibly gently and evenly, and retains more moisture. Chefs love that they can sous vide well in advance, and finish the dish right before serving: sous vide food is nearly impossible to overcook.

Okay, I'm sold. It's the best ever stress-free way to cook for a party. But will any old plastic bag do or do we need very special, heavy duty bags to prevent the plastic's chemicals from transferring to our food?

To find out, I turned to one of my favorite food safety experts, Dr. Don Schaffner. I know the good doctor from Rutgers — who has served on the US National Academy of Sciences, World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) — will always err on the side of being more protective of our health. He's a very careful guy. Here's what he had to say.

"There are risks for cooking sous vide, but I don't consider using zip lock bags high on the list of what those risks are." From a microbiological perspective, said Dr. Schaffner, the key to safety of sous vide cooked food is getting the cooking time and temperature right.

FAQs

Is it Safe to Sous Vide in Any Plastic Bag? ›

The EEP recommends the use of appropriate plastic bags for sous vide that follow current FDA guidelines and are free of BPA and phthalates. Bags and pouches used in sous vide should be made of food- grade plastics such as high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, and polypropylene.

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Are all plastic bags safe for sous vide? ›

Ziplock and Glad brand bags are made from polyethylene plastic, and are free of BPAs and dioxins. A good rule of thumb is that when a bag is rated as microwave safe (which requires FDA approval) you can use it for sous vide. Even Dr. Schaffner agrees.

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Can I use regular FoodSaver bags for sous vide? ›

Unlike other bags, FoodSaver® Bags can be simmered in water (for sous vide cooking) or microwaved (so you can reheat leftovers or pre-cooked dinners).

Can you sous vide in something other than plastic? ›

You can use glass jars to sous vide anything from beans to pickles, custards, grains, cakes, infused co*cktails and even cold brew coffee? It's endlessly recyclable, meaning you can use it again, and again . . . and again!

Can I use a regular plastic container for sous vide? ›

You can use some plastic containers for sous vide. Do NOT use basic food storage containers for sous vide, even if they are very large. The plastic will warp or melt at higher temperatures. The keyword is “polycarbonate,” which signifies a durable, heat-resistant plastic that will last for years.

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Can I sous vide in Ziplock? ›

Ziploc Freezer Bags. These freezer bags are great for sealing your food for sous vide and they work almost as well as a FoodSaver sealer if you know the trick to removing the air from them. It is called the "Water Displacement Method" or the Archimedes (ark-a-mead-ees) Principle.

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At what temperature does plastic leach into food? ›

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

When exposed to high temperatures, food-safe PET can leach the contaminant, antimony, into your foods. On the other hand, cold foods such as salads and wraps can be packaged and stored into PET containers. PET Temperature Limits: Up to 120°F.

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Do plastic chemicals leach into food from sous vide sv cooking? ›

What about the plastic bags used for cooking do they pose any risks? No. The bags sold for sous vide cooking are free of phthalates , BPA , and other hormone-disrupting chemicals.

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Can you sous vide without vacuum sealed bags? ›

No, vacuum sealing is not necessary for sous vide. In fact — and this isverycounterintuitive — foods inside a sealed vacuum bag aren'tunder vacuumat all! A vacuum is defined as a space that contains little to no air [or matter, generally speaking].

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Do sous vide bags need to be fully submerged? ›

With sous vide cooking, it's absolutely vital that your bags stay submerged and that trapped air bubbles are pushed to the top of the bag and away from the food. This is the only way to guarantee that your food is heating properly, which is important for both food safety and quality.

Is it OK if the bag touches the sous vide? ›

To prevent cold spots on the food, make sure the bag isn't touching the sous vide machine or cooking vessel. If cooking with multiple bags, make sure they aren't pressing up against each other.

Can you sous vide with aluminum foil? ›

Cover your sous vide pot.

Any cover at all will help stop the evaporation and heat loss from the surface. It can be as simple as Saran Wrap/cling film, or aluminum foil for higher temperatures.

Is Saran Wrap safe for sous vide? ›

Saran Wrap

It should work for sous vide cooking for short amounts of time.

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Which plastic bags are safe for sous vide? ›

According to the latest research, the safest plastics for use with food are high-density polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene. Virtually all sous vide bags are made from these plastics, as are most brand-name food storage bags and plastic wraps such as Saran wrap.

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What can you use instead of bags for sous vide? ›

If you don't want to pay for a vacuum sealing system, you can also use sturdy resealable freezer bags, like Ziploc ones made with low-density polyethylene.

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Can you use mason jars for sous vide? ›

Choose and Fill Your Sous Vide Mason Jar Correctly

Because of this, it's important to leave extra breathing room at the top of jars when canning with sous vide.

Can the plastic bag touch the sous vide? ›

To prevent cold spots on the food, make sure the bag isn't touching the sous vide machine or cooking vessel. If cooking with multiple bags, make sure they aren't pressing up against each other.

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Does a sous vide container need to be BPA free? ›

How About Sous Vide? Of course, one of the most common concerns about sous vide cooking is the use of plastics (at heat), however the main thing to remember here is that you should always be using BPA-Free bags and pouches.

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Do sous vide bags need to be airtight? ›

The key is that you don't want air between your food and the bag, because it won't conduct the heat from the water. So if you can't make a vacuum, the thing to do is use a zip lock and slowly submerge your bag into a pot of water, or into the sous-vide container.

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Can you sous vide with saran wrap? ›

Saran Wrap

It should work for sous vide cooking for short amounts of time.

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