Although we may think disposable latex gloves are only necessary for medical professionals, they also are of huge importance in commercial kitchens. People who work in commercial kitchens need to use disposable gloves on a regular basis in order to prevent cross-contamination of different foods and the spreading of germs. And in addition to preventing foodborne illnesses, latex gloves also help protect the hands and nails when handling spicy and acidic foods and foods with strong odours such as garlic and fish.

Even if you purchase quality TGA approved rubber latex gloves, they don’t have a magical germ-killing ability. Unless you know how to use them properly, gloves themselves can carry germs. For one, if food workers don’t wash their hands before putting gloves on, clean and new gloves can get contaminated with dangerous pathogens. Considering this, the kitchen staff needs to wash their hands thoroughly every single time they put a new pair of gloves.

In addition, it’s crucial to change gloves every time you move on to handling different foods, especially after working with raw meat. In other words, a single pair of gloves should only be used for one task and be disposed of when the task is finished or if the worker is interrupted to handle something different during the task. Furthermore, if the gloves come into contact with something else besides the food ingredients, like for instance the employee’s uniform or a part of exposed skin, they need to be changed immediately.

Considering all of this, a restaurant kitchen will go through a large number of gloves each day, which can end up being costly in the long run. To save you the money and hassle of constantly buying new packs of gloves, it’s recommended to purchase your rubber latex gloves in bulk, so that you always have enough on hand. It’s important to never run out of gloves as a lack of clean ones and reusing old ones can put your customers at risk of foodborne illnesses.

When choosing rubber latex gloves, besides going for the ones that are sold in bulk, it’s also recommended to look for other features. Choosing disposable gloves that are made of latex approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia can give you peace of mind that you’re using something that’s 100% safe. In addition, gloves that are lightly powdered are easier to put on and off, and thus can save some valuable time in the kitchen.