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Handwashing and gloving for food protection. I. Examination of the evidence. II. Effectiveness.

Author(s) : FENDLER E. J., DOLAN M. J., WILLIAMS R. A., PAULSON D. S.

Type of article: Article

Summary

The most effective method to break the contamination vector between foodhandlers and consumers is intensely debated. One view holds that food servers must eliminate bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food (by use of gloving) to insure protection, while the other position is that a well managed handwashing and hand sanitizing program is sufficient to insure protection. The paper explores the evidence for these widely differing opinions via a literature review. To evaluate the effectiveness of handwashing compared to gloving, a two-phase study was designed. The first phase evaluated the ability of hand contaminant bacteria to penetrate through compromised vinyl glove barriers. The second phase evaluated the microbial contamination level picked up on the hands from handling contaminated hamburger. It is clear that a policy where gloves are employed to provide no bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food is not a panacea and may only serve to provide a dangerous false sense of security. Caution should be exercised in the selection of most effective regimen for food protection.

Details

  • Original title: Handwashing and gloving for food protection. I. Examination of the evidence. II. Effectiveness.
  • Record ID : 1999-3599
  • Languages: English
  • Source: Dairy Food environ. Sanit. - vol. 18 - n. 12
  • Publication date: 1998/12
  • Document available for consultation in the library of the IIR headquarters only.

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