There is certainly a lot of debate about whether or not to wear disposable food gloves throughout the preparation of food and during food handling procedures. It feels like each time I facilitate a food safety education session at least one person generally asks the question. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of wearing food gloves, but that is definitely not to imply there’s not a time or place when food handling disposable gloves should be worn.
Food hygiene laws
Depending on the country where your food business is located, the mandatory use of food gloves may or may not be stipulated within relevant food hygiene laws. Regardless, it is best practice and a basic food hygiene requirement that hands are washed regularly to maintain cleanliness. 
Disposable gloves are excellent when utilized and managed appropriately and properly. By this I mean – treat the gloves as you’d treat your personal hands. When your hands have become unclean you’re required to clean them thoroughly. It can be subsequently expected that when the food gloves become contaminated or unclean, they too are either washed or replaced with a brand new clean set. One of my biggest concerns of wearing disposable food gloves is that food handlers can’t feel when their hands have become contaminated or unclean. This then leads to an increased risk of cross-contamination within the food premises or food business.
From an international standpoint, the vast majority of food safety standards (which are customer specified) and food certification standards (which I audit against), call for that when disposable gloves are going to be worn, they’re of a contrasting colour compared to that of the food which is getting produced. This is to allow the easy identification of the food glove if it ends up in the food product or food ingredients. Irrespective of the colour of food glove used, I see frequent consumer complaints where by gloves have finished up within the finished food item.
Verifying detection of food gloves
If the food organization that you work for is utilizing x-ray systems to evaluate foreign matter in finished food items, be conscious to incorporate parts of the disposable food glove embedded in the finished food item during the x-ray verification procedure. If you’re not using x-ray technology, the organizations GMP and food hygiene programs will need to make sure adequate food handling procedures are in place for the management, use and disposal off food gloves.
It is also advised that all food handlers that are required to handle food and wear disposable gloves are adequately trained in basic food hygiene procedures for wearing gloves.
