Using gloves in food preparation and cooking

OK. I'm sure someone will say that I'm wrong (I know who it will be too), but I'll explain it the way I learned in NSF certification. It's really kinda simple, for the most part. 

Those handling food that is then going to be cooked don't need gloves. You should still however wear gloves if you are handling food that will be cooked, but not in that shift you are working. 

Those handling food that is going to a plate to be served need to be wearing gloves. 

Anyone with absolutely no knife-handling skills, who is still handling a knife, should wear gloves; those anti-cut your fingers off gloves.

I hope that helps. 

IceMan nailed it, in principle. But gloves can also be a source of cross-contamination.

I simply "adore" those fast food clerks who carefully make your sandwich with gloves, then take your money, ring up the register, wrap your sandwich, and go back to fix the next sandwich WITHOUT REMOVING OR CHANGING GLOVES! The expression on their face when you politely request they change gloves AFTER washing their hands is priceless.

Or the cook, wearing gloves, places the raw chicken/beef/pork/whatever on the grill, turns around and plates three dinners WITH THE SAME GLOVES ON!
 

I agree with both Iceman and Pete. Gloves are misused and give a false sense of security

 Making your sandwich and taking $ is  a good example. On raw meat you don't need but cooked always, then before you pick up a raw item to cook they must be changed again . I prefer 2 sets of tongues one for raw on , one for cooked off. Otherwise you will be spending all day on changing gloves. Sometime I think dipping ones hands in an 05% bleach solution might be better.

I agree with the above with one caviat, I ALWAYS wear gloves when handling raw meat for cleanliness reasons.  I HATE getting the blood up under my nails, having to wash down after each time I touch a different raw protien and then go back and do it again.  Its bad for your skin, you end up washing your hands CONSTANTLY and it inefficient.  I would rather change gloves quickly than wash my hands PROPERLY after EACH AND EVERY time I handle a raw protien.

I refuse to wear gloves unless I'm prepping raw fish or chicken where it's slimy and can get under my nails or if I have any cuts on my hand. Other wise, I use different pairs of utensils for different things. Have a bleach bucket on every station, and wash my hands at least once every 20 minutes. It is far to easy to cross contaminate with gloves on. Plus, I hate when they melt to your hands when you're reaching in an oven or too close to the grill or saute. Looking back at the fast food places I've worked (when I had no knowledge of cooking) where they made us wear gloves, I realize I cross contaminated so many things because I wasn't changing gloves every 2 seconds. At least when there's wetness or a texture on my hands, it reminds me to disinfect them. 

As a home cook I use gloves to protect my hands from over washing, helps with cold items(reynauds), and always with raw protein.

The last time I worked in a restaurant was maybe 1975, 6 ??  or so.  Not a glove to be seen.  I washed my hands a lot.

On a side note I work part time as an auto mechanic, old British Sports cars being another passion of mine.  Never wear gloves for that, though almost all the younger techs these days do.  I think about it sometime when I REALLY have to scrub up to get the perma-dirt off before fixing dinner.  I just keep my hands moving fast so my wife never gets a good look at my nails ;-)

mjb.

Sounds like if i had any savings i should invest in latex glove companies!  How many gloves do you go through in a day in a restaurant i wonder.

In club I part time in  about 60 employees about 8 to 10 gloves a day.  about  5 to 6 boxes per day assortted sizes  100 in a box  non powdered.

I have gotten into the habit of using gloves anytime I am handling raw ground meats - I don't know why, I just feel better knowing that I can get my hands really in there when mixing and don't have to worry about scrubbing away little bits of raw ground beef (or pork or veal) from under my nails.