Most corporate-owned and many privately owned food service establishments require workers who handle and prepare food to wear gloves. Even some home cooks wear latex gloves while cooking, thinking this guarantees that the food will not become contaminated. Gloves are no different from your hands. If the surface of the gloves becomes contaminated, then this contamination can be transferred to other surfaces or foods during preparation.
One of the main problems with wearing gloves for food safety is the failure to change gloves after handling raw meat and transitioning to handling vegetables or other ingredients. In a recent report, a fast food restaurant was cited when a health inspector observed workers failing to wash their hands when changing to a fresh pair of gloves. If you handle raw meat and then take off your latex gloves, some of the germs from the meat could be transferred from the gloves to your hands. Then, when you pick up the fresh pair of gloves, you could transfer some of this contamination to the gloves, and then onto food.
Gloves are only helpful if proper procedures are followed and they are not a replacement for proper food handling and frequent hand washing, especially after handling raw meat or poultry.
One problem with gloves is being disconnected from the food we handle. We simply are less aware of touching potentially contaminated foods.
When you handle raw meat with your bare hands, you are more acutely aware of it and are more likely to wash your hands. When you cannot feel the raw meat because of the barrier gloves create, you can become less aware of the danger. Essentially, you are not ‘connected’ to the food as directly. This can lead to a false sense of security.
Washing your hands is just as safe as using gloves, and better for the environment! In order to use gloves safely you have to change them frequently and throw away the used pair. They are not recyclable and will all end up in a landfill.
Another problem is that some people may have severe allergies to latex and if latex proteins are transferred onto food while it is being prepared, this can trigger severe reactions in someone who is allergic and eats the food. Vinyl, nitrile, polyvinyl, chloroprene, or polyethylene gloves are all good alternatives to latex that will be less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Although they are more expensive than vinyl gloves, nitrile gloves are made with synthetic nitrile rubber and are an especially good choice because they are durable, comfortable, and have superior resistance to chemicals or oils. They are puncture-resistant. You’ll see these gloves being used in all sorts of jobs, including food prep, janitorial work, hair salons, and tattoo shops. Even mechanics use them. They can be worn for long periods without irritating the skin (although individual experiences may vary) and they have great tactile sensitivity, meaning you can feel what you are working with.
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Remember these important points:
- Gloves pick up germs as easily as your hands.
- A new pair of gloves can be contaminated by germs from the old pair of gloves if you do not wash your hands before picking up the new pair.
- There is no replacement for proper food handling and hand washing.
- If your gloves rip or tear, you must replace them immediately.
