What is nitrile? What are nitrile gloves? We get asked these questions a lot. Simply put, nitrile (nitrile butadiene rubber) is a synthetic, latex-free rubber.
Nitrile disposable gloves have characteristics similar to latex such as their elasticity and strength, but do not contain the latex proteins people can be highly sensitive or even allergic to. Find out if nitrile gloves are latex free.
We recommend nitrile gloves for food handling for multiple food safety reasons. However, because of differing qualities of raw materials and manufacturing processes not all nitrile gloves have the same safety qualities. Here are a few things to consider when purchasing nitrile gloves.
Product Safety
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Eagle’s Sensitive, Derma2 and FineTOUGH nitrile gloves reduce the risk of cross-contamination, simply because of their unique surface characteristics due to high-quality manufacturing.
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Higher-quality nitrile gloves rip/tear less frequently.
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AQL (number of pinhole defects per box) effects glove safety. There is no AQL requirement for 'FDA Compliant for food handling' gloves, meaning there are no guidelines for the number of failures per box. Choosing a nitrile glove that exceeds medical grade standards provides superior protection.
Glove Quality
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Gloves made in dirty factories can be contaminated with bacteria before you even use them.
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Cheap gloves can contain fillers like chalk or silica to reduce the cost of manufacturing. These can be toxic to the wearer, and reduce glove strength and flexibility making them more prone to tearing. We have an easy trick to estimate the quality of your disposable gloves.
Worker Safety
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Poor fitting gloves can cause hand injuries.
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Low-quality materials can contain toxic compounds which can induce skin disease.
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Disposable glove manufacturing has been identified as a high risk industry for labor abuse. Eagle Protect gloves are produced in Child Labor Free* certified factories.
Eagle Protect supplies responsibly sourced disposable nitrile gloves, which exceed examination grade AQL requirements. They are produced with high-quality ingredients and manufacturing processes, providing your workers and your product a superior quality of barrier protection against bacteria and virus. Download our product catalog or contact us with questions. Our team of experts are here to help.
*The organization behind Child Labor Free has ceased offering accreditation renewal, effective December 2020.
