Background
A respected U.S. quick-service restaurant chain, known for its vertically integrated sourcing and high food safety standards, partnered with Eagle Protect to further strengthen its facility protocols.
After experiencing production issues related to glove ripping and the discovery of glove fragments in food, the company recognized the need for stronger visual controls and departmental traceability, in addition to better performing gloves.
At its largest USDA-regulated processing site the FSQA team implemented a facility-wide glove color coding system to improve visual compliance, reduce cross-contamination risk, and quickly identify the department of origin in the unlikely event glove fragments were detected in future. This initiative supported long-term audit and training readiness and by switching to Eagle Protect gloves, aimed to eliminate glove performance issues altogether.
Objective
The FSQA Manager led the rollout of the color coded glove program to align with HACCP principles and instill stronger visual discipline across the plant. The initiative aimed to:
- Reinforce hygiene zones
- Prevent departmental cross-contamination, especially in high-risk areas (raw & RTE)
- Support simplified training and operational consistency across shifts and future sites
- Improve audit visibility and adherence to departmental procedures
- Identify the department of origin if glove fragments were detected
The system was designed to scale across other company facilities, supporting their continued growth with a consistent and easy to implement glove safety strategy.
Challenge
This organization’s pride in tradition and tenure—many staff with 30+ years of service—meant any change needed to be handled with care. Color coding gloves wasn’t just about assigning colors; it was about shifting daily habits, reinforcing accountability, and introducing new visual expectations without disrupting flow.
Eagle worked closely with both the management team and the staff on the floor to ensure the implementation was seamless and accepted. The value of a faster and more visually traceable system was understood.
Solution: Department-Specific Glove Color Coding
Eagle Protect co-developed a standardized glove color protocol that brought immediate clarity to zones and roles:
| Raw Meat Processing | Green Visible | High contrast with product and equipment to improve detection. |
| Night Sanitation | Orange Visible | Highly visible in cleaning conditions. |
| Day Sanitation | Yellow Visible | Quick visual ID for day shift operations. |
| Sauce Operations | Blue52 | Comfortable and durable; validated for use in sauce production. |
| QC/Lab (PCR) | Indigo FineTOUGH | Lightweight for precision and tactile work. |
| Maintenance | Black Diamond | Industrial strength to isolate glove-related debris from food zones. |
| Janitorial | White FineTOUGH |
Durable and tactile with a clean look. |
Results & Benefits
Clear Cross-Contamination Controls: Each department’s gloves became a visible, enforceable control point, reducing the chance of misuse.
Fewer Glove Failures: The switch to Eagle Protect’s gloves helped eliminate glove ripping incidents, reducing contamination risks at the source.
Stronger Team Accountability: Staff quickly embraced the system, understanding their responsibilities more intuitively by color. It reinforced pride and ownership in their roles.
Improved Training & Audit Readiness: New hires are trained faster and internal walkthroughs are more efficient. Auditors immediately recognized the structure and saw the system at work.
Cultural Buy-In, Not Just Compliance: By integrating gloves visually into the facility, food safety culture wasn’t just talked about, it was worn.
Eagle's Role
Unlike previous glove suppliers, Eagle Protect provided more than product—we brought a customized program, together with our proprietary Delta Zero™ tested gloves and glove safety expertise. Our team worked on-site to align the glove system with operations, ensuring compliance didn't come at the cost of comfort or current systems in place.
Our values around ethical sourcing, glove traceability, and product performance aligned with the company’s own commitment to doing things right—not just ticking boxes.
"This system has already saved us time during internal walkthroughs and made it easier to train new team members. Visual glove cues were a small change with a big impact."
— FSQA Manager, Multi-Site Food Processing Operation
Conclusion
Color-coded gloves are a frontline food safety control. This QSR brand’s partnership with Eagle Protect demonstrates how simple, visible tools can elevate compliance, build food safety culture, and support scalable growth across facilities. With Eagle, gloves become a proactive measure—not a passive risk.
