What Gloves To Use For Food Preparation 

There are many different types of gloves that food handlers and those preparing or serving food can wear and ultimately it comes down to a few factors that we will go over in more detail below.  Although it is not a legal requirement for food handlers or those working in a food business to wear gloves it is good practice and it helps reduce cross-contamination and cases of food poisoning.  In addition, some foods stain your hands or can cause irritation (chillies for example).  Disposable gloves should only be used for one task and then disposed of and clean gloves applied. Hands should be thoroughly washed before donning a new pair of gloves. In addition, if you are handling foods that are known to cause allergic reactions you should change gloves and wash your hands immediately after, as should be done when switching from handling meat to handling vegetables for example. 

 

The best disposable gloves for food preparation 

Many powder-free disposable gloves are suitable for food preparation so you can choose between latex gloves, nitrile gloves, polythene gloves or vinyl gloves.  Often the choice comes down to price in this case. Nitrile gloves and latex gloves are usually twice the price of vinyl gloves so vinyl gloves are often the go-to gloves for those handling food. Vinyl gloves are cheap, comfortable and they get the job done.  Unlike latex gloves and nitrile gloves, vinyl gloves aren’t as durable but for handling and serving food this isn’t really necessary. 

 

The benefits of vinyl gloves 

Vinyl gloves are low cost to manufacture and made from PVC which is a petroleum-based film. They are inexpensive compared to other disposable gloves and can be used for tasks that are non-hazardous in environments that are non-infectious. Vinyl gloves are hypoallergenic (unlike latex gloves that cause allergic reactions in about 6% of the population). Vinyl gloves keep hands from bacteria and foodstuffs while keeping hands clean and dry. 

 

What are vinyl gloves used for? 

Vinyl gloves are most commonly used for food prep and painting but there are some medical tasks that they can also be used for.  They aren’t super strong but they are fine for protecting against oily substances, acid, emulsions and other liquids