58 9.8: The Importance of Gloves and Use Limitations
9.8 – The Importance of Gloves and Use Limitations
Why No Bare-Han
d Contact? Contamination of foods via the hands ranks highly among the contributing factors identified during outbreak investigations. In a report on the factors contributing to foodborne disease outbreaks from 1998 to 2002, bare-hand contact, inadequate cleaning of processing or preparation equipment or utensils, and handling of food by an infected person or an asymptomatic carrier were among the most important factors (associated with 26%, 25%, and 22% of disease outbreaks, respectively). Foodborne pathogens with low infective doses may be present on hands in high numbers and can be easily transferred to foods, food contact, and nonfood contact surfaces, necessitating barriers to transmission.
According to FDA, when hands are contaminated or soiled, effective hand hygiene (HH) practices may not be sufficient to prevent the transmission of transient pathogens from the hands to ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. The 2017 FDA Food Code discourages bare-hand contact with RTE food and recommends the use of suitable utensils, deli tissues, single-use gloves, or dispensing equipment
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when handling these food items. The majority of individual state food codes have adopted and enforce this rule. The obvious objective in utilizing gloves in foodservice is to minimize physical, chemical, and microbiological contamination of food. Gloves can unfortunately offer a false sense of security both on the part of food workers and food safety managers when employees are not trained and glove use is not supervised properly.
Glove Usage.
Glove use limitations (Food Code section 3-304.15) are designed to minimize the risk of foodborne illness transmission in food service establishments. This regulation emphasizes the importance of proper glove usage to prevent cross-contamination and ensure food safety.
Single-use gloves are intended for one specific task and must be discarded after completion or if they become damaged, soiled, or if the food handling process is interrupted. This requirement is crucial because gloves can become a vector for pathogen transfer if not changed frequently. For instance, gloves used to handle raw chicken should not be used to prepare a salad, as this could lead to cross-contamination with harmful bacteria like Salmonella.
The CDC has reported that improper glove use has been implicated in approximately 16% of foodborne illness outbreaks. This statistic underscores the importance of following proper glove use protocols. The USDA also emphasizes that gloves are not a substitute for proper hand hygiene and should be used in conjunction with regular handwashing.
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Regarding slash-resistant gloves, the FDA Food Code specifies their use for operations involving cutting, but limits their direct food contact to items that will be cooked subsequently. This restriction is in place because slash-resistant gloves are typically not designed for direct contact with ready-to-eat foods and may harbor bacteria in their more complex structure. The subsequent cooking process helps to eliminate any potential pathogens that might be present on the gloves’ surface.
It’s important to note that the use of latex gloves is prohibited in food service establishments due to potential allergic reactions. Food handlers should opt for non-latex alternatives such as nitrile or vinyl gloves.
A glove-use management system can be developed to include:
- Choice of the correct glove that with a specific glove-change frequency and type of foods prepared will minimize the risks related to undetected punctures
- Different-colored gloves for when employees handle/prep raw animal proteins versus RTE foods to provide a visual cue to managers for proper glove use and reduction of cross-contamination of food contact and nonfood contact surfaces from gloves
RTE foods glove colors: Clear, blue, or purple: all foods that will not undergo a kill or wash step to remove foodborne disease pathogens; use of colored gloves can provide a safety indicator to aid in preventing glove parts’ ending up in food products.
A requirement to clean (wash) and sanitize hands before glove use to reduce pathogens on hands
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- Suggested raw animal protein-handling glove colors:
Yellow: raw poultry (chicken, turkey, etc.)
Red: raw meats (beef, pork, etc.)
Pink: raw seafood
Green: raw produce