Disposable Glove Use in Restaurants

Did you know the restaurant industry has one of the largest opportunities for disposable glove use? Those working in foodservice use more disposable gloves than employees in just about every other industry. To break this down to a more digestible number, each individual employee uses about 20 pairs of gloves on a given day. That means the industry collectively uses more than 200 million pairs of gloves daily.

What is the reasoning behind the massive number of gloves used, you may ask? Safety regulations govern the frequency of disposable glove use. Those working in foodservice must wash their hands or wear a pair of disposable gloves whenever they handle ingredients that a customer may purchase or consume. This prevents the spread of pathogens and contaminants. Below are several of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s guidelines for hand sanitation and glove usage:

• Employees must minimize bare hand and arm contact with exposed food that is not ready to eat.
• Gloves or utensils must be used for contact with exposed and ready-to-eat foods except when washing produce.
• Gloves can be used for a single task, and are to be discarded when employees switch to a new task, the gloves become soiled, or the task is interrupted.

Those in foodservice tend to use vinyl gloves, as they are an inexpensive solution for frequent glove changes. This is a large consideration in choosing disposable glove material. Latex gloves are often avoided, as some of the proteins within the glove may pass onto the food, causing the customer to have a potential allergic reaction. Nitrile gloves are a more durable solution but come at a higher price point, making them less appealing due to the frequent glove changes needed to maintain safety standards.