I’m a ‘sous vide noob’ and was confused on the issue of cooking safety when using low temperatures. For example, 165F is generally given as a safe temperature for chicken (to ensure bacteria are dead). As a ‘noob’ the idea of cooking it to 145F seemed like a safety issue. So, my first sous vide chicken breast was overcooked.
When the USDA publishes their “safe temperatures” they are using the highest number where bacteria exposed to this temperature is killed instantly. They also publish charts that relate safety to time and temperature. Food held for a longer time at a lower temperature is perfectly safe. This is really great for things such as hamburgers which are perfectly safe when cooked sous vide to medium rare.
If you’re worried about food safety (and you should be) then having an app like Sous Vide Dash is very worth while ( http://www.sousvidedash.com/ ). Really wish this kind of information was included in the Anova app.