Gloves can give a false sense of security and cause major problems if not chosen and used correctly.
1. Wear Quality Nitrile
Firstly, you should wear a high-quality nitrile glove. The gloves should be made in factories that conduct Good Manufacturing Practice.
Testing 25 brands of gloves, here is what we found:
Found on new gloves
- Foodborne illness pathogens
- Fecal contaminants
- Fungus
- Mold
- Bacteria
The one exception to wearing a nitrile glove would be if you are serving ready-to-eat food. Then a polyethylene glove may be more appropriate for use, but for one to two minutes maximum, and then should be discarded.
Eagle Protect’s new technology gloves are verified to be clean, made of high-quality ingredients, and don’t contain harmful chemicals.
2. Using Vinyl Gloves
Multiple trials and research papers back our recommendation that vinyl gloves should not be used for food handling. This is attributed to the inherent safety risks associated with it.
3. Change Gloves Often
In a busy retail food service situation, gloves should be changed every 10 minutes because of the risk of cross-contamination. To maintain proper hygiene standards, workers should put on a new pair of gloves whenever the gloved hand comes into contact with anything besides ready-to-eat food or equipment, along with other things such as;
- Your face
- Phone
- Co-workers
More importantly, gloves should be changed if they are ripped or if the food sticks to the glove.
Donning and Doffing
To reduce the risk of cross-contamination, carefully remove your dirty gloves, and when putting on new gloves, ensure you have washed your hands thoroughly.
Based on the selection and how they’re used, gloves have been shown to reduce, transfer, or multiply risks.
When using disposable gloves to handle food, you should:
- Wear high-quality nitrile gloves
- Change your gloves often
- Wash your hands before and between wearing gloves
These tips for wearing gloves and handling food effectively help minimize cross-contamination and demonstrate your commitment to cleanliness and proper glove usage.
