We live in a world full of germs and disease, where people every day in various jobs come in contact with and pass along helpful and harmful bacteria. Although there are health and safety regulations for the use of disposable glovesin the food industry, I continue to see employees in fast food restaurants making meals without the proper gloves or hair nets. Recently, a popular television show filmed a certain Mexican-style fast food restaurant where the employees made tacos without using gloves. While I do not argue the cleanliness of such employees, bacteria and harmful germs can be passed to customers inadvertently, making them ill and causing them to avoid that restaurant in the future. In New Mexico, where Kimber Safetyis based, our state sponsored Food Program, which states the food regulation suggests the use of gloves in statute 7.6.92.C: "Suitable serving utensils, disposable gloves, or both, shall be used in conjunction with proper hand washing to minimize bare hand contact during processing or serving ready to eat foods" (http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/fod/Food_Program/regulatory_4.html). On the other hand, the FDA uses much stronger and more language to regulate contact between preparer, food, and recipient. They state: (A) Food employees shall wash their hands as specified under § 2-301.12.(B) Except when washing fruits and vegetables as specified under § 3-302.15 or as specified in ¶ (D) of this section, food employees may not contact exposed, ready-to-eat food with their bare hands and shall use suitable utensils such as deli tissue, spatulas, tongs, single-use gloves, or dispensing equipment. P(C) Food employees shall minimize bare hand and arm contact with exposed food that is not in a ready-to-eat . Pf(D) Food employees not serving a highly susceptible population may contact exposed, ready-to-eat food with their bare hands if:(1) The permit holder obtains prior approval from the regulatory authority;(2) Written procedures are maintained in the food establishment and made available to the regulatory authority upon request that include:(a) For each bare hand contact procedure, a listing of the specific ready-to-eat foods that are touched by bare hands,(b) Diagrams and other information showing that hand washing facilities, installed, located, equipped, and maintained as specified under §§ 5-203.11, 5-204.11, 5-205.11, 6-301.11, 6-301.12, and 6-301.14, are in an easily accessible location and in close proximity to the work station where the bare hand contact procedure is conducted; (http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/RetailFoodProtection/FoodCode/FoodCode2009/ucm186451.htm) Although the regulations stated by the FDA are more detailed, in what case is the approval to touch food with bare hands truely necessary? Who makes that decision, and is it possible to find out which restaurants have made the decision to touch food with bare hands rather than disposable gloves? The fact of the matter is that people ingest bacteria every day, but wouldn't you rather limit where it was coming from by having the people who made your food wear gloves? Be safe, wear gloves. ...read more