What is the best practice for using gloves in food handling?

Changing gloves frequently and when switching tasks is crucial in food handling to prevent cross-contamination and ensure food safety. Gloves can easily become contaminated with bacteria or allergens while preparing food or handling different items. By changing gloves frequently, you minimize the risk of spreading contaminants from one food item to another or from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods.

For instance, if a food worker handles raw meat and then proceeds to prepare vegetables without changing gloves, the harmful pathogens from the meat could transfer to the vegetables, posing a serious health risk. Additionally, specific tasks might involve different types of food, such as allergenic ingredients, and changing gloves helps protect individuals with food allergies.

This practice aligns with the food safety guidelines provided by health authorities to maintain hygiene standards in food handling environments. Therefore, frequently changing gloves at appropriate times is the best approach to safeguard both food quality and public health.