Slashing single-use in sous vide: Anova launches air-tight reusable silicone bag

17 Mar 2021 --- Sous vide device provider Anova is launching a half-gallon reusable bag made from 100 percent food-grade silicone.

“The Anova Precision Reusable Silicone Bag allows our food nerd community to have a product that can handle the full range of sous vide cooking while reducing their plastic footprint,” Austin Lewis, communications manager at Anova Culinary, tells PackagingInsights.

Silicone is a high-temperature material often used in the kitchen for oven cooking sheets, muffin tins, mitts and placemats for hot pans. It can withstand temperatures between -40°F to 446°F. 

An air-tight solution
Dishwasher-safe and BPA-free, the bags provide an air-tight seal. Therefore, Anova prioritized “getting the right shape and thickness of the bag” to wrap around food during cooking to reduce air bubbles. Easy cleaning and storage were also important aspects.

“We know that nothing lasts forever but these bags will last you almost indefinitely,” Lewis explains. 

In terms of its end-of-life disposal, silicone can be recycled at a specialized center. Consumers are encouraged to contact their local recycling center to see if they will accept silicone. 

“If a recycling center that accepts silicone is not available, then the products should be disposed of through the consumer’s standard waste management system,” she adds.

The overall goal, however, is to develop a fully recyclable or compostable vacuum sealer bag available by 2022.

Bidding single-use adieu
The hunt for alternatives to disposable plastic bags is on but a “one size fits all” approach may be too linear to tackle the complexities of plastic pollution. This was highlighted by 2020’s Beyond the Bag Challenge’s nine winners.

In other eco-conscious sous vide developments, Sous Vide Tools unveiled home-compostable food-safe vacuum pouches in September, specifically designed to withstand sous vide cooking temperatures. 

The pouches can store food items like fresh produce, chilled food, meat and chicken, and withstand temperatures up to 85°C over 12 hours, where other pouches would swell and delaminate.

Meanwhile, Ixon Food Technology shared with PackagingInsights how it made scalable progress to commercialize its technology to naturally preserve foods without additives or high temperatures.

By Anni Schleicher