Glove usage at comps

[big blue bbq]

I know in TN the health department sort of discourages glove usage in restaurants because of what has been stated earlier. The thought that because you have gloves on makes everything ok. I work for Subway restaurants as a corporate rep. and see both sides. Some stores do everything pretty well from washing hands before each glove use, and some don't.
It amazes me that customers see it more a safety thing even if the employees are not doing it correctly.
At comps I try my best to wear the gloves and use the hand sanitizers. I haven't had the budget to buy the burners where I can keep three pans going at all times. I do use hot water for the dishes and keep up with that as good as possible and rub everything down with bleach between uses.
Here's a screwy thing in TN health department scores. If your sanitizing solution is too weak and would not do the job correctly it is one point off on a inspection. If it is too strong. It is 5 points off. Which is worse, not killing the bacteria or killing them too good? They say too strong can leave a chemical trail behind to get on the food.
All this to say, wash your hands often, where gloves when your supposed to, keep your cook area clean! I believe it is very difficult to make some one ill with your food as long as it is cooked thoroughly. How many restaurants do you go in with a bad health score. You still eat and no one gets sick. It happens rarely, but take the precautions to make sure it is not you causing it.

 

[ZBQ]

Ok, I have a question.

I said above that I use gloves when handling meat but is there any reason to use gloves just to prep veggies, other than just keeping your hands clean?

What I'm talking about is dicing up onions and such for a recipe. I never handle the meat while doing this and the meat has not touched the cutting board or knives that I'm using. I wash my hands and cutting boards frequently with anti-bac soap.

Maybe I'm missing something but I don't see the need to waste gloves on veggies.

What do you think?

 

[Sawdustguy]

I know in TN the health department sort of discourages glove usage in restaurants because of what has been stated earlier. The thought that because you have gloves on makes everything ok. I work for Subway restaurants as a corporate rep. and see both sides. Some stores do everything pretty well from washing hands before each glove use, and some don't.
It amazes me that customers see it more a safety thing even if the employees are not doing it correctly.
At comps I try my best to wear the gloves and use the hand sanitizers. I haven't had the budget to buy the burners where I can keep three pans going at all times. I do use hot water for the dishes and keep up with that as good as possible and rub everything down with bleach between uses.
Here's a screwy thing in TN health department scores. If your sanitizing solution is too weak and would not do the job correctly it is one point off on a inspection. If it is too strong. It is 5 points off. Which is worse, not killing the bacteria or killing them too good? They say too strong can leave a chemical trail behind to get on the food.
All this to say, wash your hands often, where gloves when your supposed to, keep your cook area clean! I believe it is very difficult to make some one ill with your food as long as it is cooked thoroughly. How many restaurants do you go in with a bad health score. You still eat and no one gets sick. It happens rarely, but take the precautions to make sure it is not you causing it.

I am glad that you told me the Health Department in TN discourages wearing gloves because now I will make a note to never eat at any public eatery in TN. I think thats a bad policy because it only takes one employee forgetting to wash his hands to do the damage.

 

[Yakfishingfool]

Here's a little trick I use in medicine. I frequently double glove. Then when I;m through with part of procedure but still need a clean glove I peel the first one off. My hands sweat terribly in the gloves so reapplying after just removing is a chore. Two gloves on each hand, always ready for two messes. Scott

 

[G$]

I am glad that you told me the Health Department in TN discourages wearing gloves because now I will make a note to never eat at any public eatery in TN. I think thats a bad policy because it only takes one employee forgetting to wash his hands to do the damage.

I know it has been said before in this thread, but I think you might be missing the point. Simply wearing gloves offers no protection to you as a consumer. The food safety process is what matters. Someone wearing gloves that just wiped their nose, made change, picked up the soiled towel from the floor, and then prepared your food is not any cleaner than if the same person was not wearing gloves. In fact, it may give them a flase sense of security, and 'prevent' them from washhing their hands after those activities.

The important thing is proper sanitation and hand washing techniques, which CAN include glove usage, if employed properly.

I do agree, all things being equal, glove usage can be an effective piece of the clean food handling puzzle, but it is not a panacea.

 

[Sawdustguy]

I know it has been said before in this thread, but I think you might be missing the point. Simply wearing gloves offers no protection to you as a consumer. The food safety process is what matters. Someone wearing gloves that just wiped their nose, made change, picked up the soiled towel from the floor, and then prepared your food is not any cleaner than if the same person was not wearing gloves. In fact, it may give them a flase sense of security, and 'prevent' them from washhing their hands after those activities.

The important thing is proper sanitation and hand washing techniques, which CAN include glove usage, if employed properly.

I do agree, all things being equal, glove usage can be an effective piece of the clean food handling puzzle, but it is not a panacea.

I see what you are saying and hand washing is important also. Gloves and hand washing should go hand in hand, but I don't want the chance of having an employee that doesn't wear gloves and forgets to wash his hands after going to the mens room, prepare my food. At least gloves will assue he does not put his dirty hands on my food.

 

[big blue bbq]

ah, there is the rub. If you don't wash your hands first, you dirty the outside of the glove with whatever he picked up in the bathroom, hence, gloves no good anymore. It is all about the washing. Like I said customers ( and employees) think that just because they put on the glove they are safe. I made all my employees wear the gloves, but also I was always harping about washing hands. Any time I saw them go for anything food related I would hit them with "have you washed your hands". It is a ongoing battle in the world of minimum or barely above labor.

 

[Chris Nickelson]

we probably go through a 3/4 box or so per contest. Its only two of us cooking. Alot of times I will handle raw brisket or butt to get it out of the packages, but glove-up to trim or season. All cooked meat gloved.


I second that Eric, people not washing up after using the germ incubators known as "porti-potty's" is sick.
I'm a bit anal on that: washing ,then using the bleach spray on my hands to sanitze, then rinsing with clean water.

 

[Jeremiah]

I often wear them when prepping at home in addition to comps. The big selling point of using them at comps is the lack of hot water hand washing stations.

 

[Plowboy]

I've started buying them by the case now. Have a case of Large and a case of X-Large to put over the top of cotton gloves for handling hot stuff.

 

[parrothead]

We go through them like crazy at the deli.. I always replace between cuatomers unless there is someone else to handle the cash. We buy in big enough bulk so they are actually about 4 cents each/ 8 cents a pair. Small price to pay considering the health of my customers. We even make it a point to put them on in front of the customer. Visual aspect goes a long way.

Gloves are cheap. There is no reason to keep wearing them.

I originally started wearing them for clean up, but now for health reasons. We do go through a good bit of them at comp. There is never a "spare the gloves because they are expensive" attitude.

Gloves are cheap insurance, and yes a good handwashing/sanitizing beforehand is important as well.

 

[JD McGee]

I use them and change them religiously at comps and at home when prepping raw meats...and If I forget...my BBQ partner reminds me. Thanks Brian! :icon_blush:

 

[Plowboy]

I even wear them at home when cooking BBQ for the family. I like clean hands.

 

[that's hot]

i have a question concerning the gloves,if i use the latex gloves from ...say home depot,would they affect a person that is allergic to latex
and they ate the food i preped ,or would the heat /smoke negate that????

M

 

[MilitantSquatter]

i have a question concerning the gloves,if i use the latex gloves from ...say home depot,would they affect a person that is allergic to latex
and they ate the food i preped ,or would the heat /smoke negate that????

M

Not sure about before it get's cooked, but I'd imagine you'd be wearing gloves afterward as well which could be more of a problem..

judges need to be careful if they have any allergies.. When they sign up to judge the open themselves up to potential problems even if the cooks follow standard procedures.

 

[that's hot]

thanks Vinny,makes me wonder, anyone else have input on this?????


M

 

[HoDeDo]

I like the blue or purple nitrile gloves. The Nitriles stand up to a good washing, and are thick enough that they do not tear when pulling skin off the ribs, cutting up chickens, etc. They are a little more expensive than latex, but again cheap insurance, as Greg and others have stated.

Todd has a good non-latex glove that he has started using as well. I bought a couple boxes out of his aforementioned case to try them... I may start buying by the case as well.

Great discussion.

 

[that's hot]

thanks for your input Andy,good points also.

M

 

[MilitantSquatter]

This report makes mention of a study that found latex proteins may be tranferred to food product during preparation... not much more detail though..

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MDA_o6latex6-1_6355_7.pdf

 

[that's hot]

thanks Vinny that clears things up as far as i'm concerned,no latex in food would be best i think,i was afraid that was possible,i've been lucky so far because that's what i've been using. no more.

M