Does sous vide process kill bacteria?

Sous vide is a method of cooking in which food is sealed in a plastic bag and then cooked in a water bath for a long time at a low temperature. Although the food must reach a minimum temperature of 55 °C (131 °F) for at least 2 minutes, the prolonged exposure to the mild temperature will kill most vegetative bacteria. However, sous vide cooking may not kill all bacterial endospores, which can contaminate the food. Bacterial endospores are protective structures that can withstand extreme temperatures and desiccation, and can only be killed by prolonged exposure (4-10 hours) to high temperatures (100 °C or 212 °F) or by exposure to higher amounts of radiation and ethylene oxide. To ensure the safety of sous vide cooked foods, it is important to follow the correct time and temperature guidelines and to cool the food quickly to below 4 °C (39 °F) after cooking.