Preventing Glove Contamination in Your Facility

To meet FDA food compliance, gloves only need to pass a chemical content and migration test.

This is why multiple cases of glove contamination were the focus in a recently published Journal of Food Protection article, “Potential for Glove Risk Amplification via Direct Physical, Chemical, and Microbiological Contamination.”^*

What could current limited glove compliance mean for your food production facility?

1. Contamination from Ripped Gloves. Cheap gloves can rip easily, and glove pieces can contaminate food, stop production lines and ultimately cause a product recall. When gloves rip, chemicals, sweat and microbial contamination on the glove wearer’s skin can also leak onto food.

   *“The extent of the liquid bridge that can emanate from a single hole a little larger than 1 μm can be deduced from the observed flow of 1.8 × 104 CFU of S. aureus over a 20-min period initiated with the aid of the sweaty hand of the wearer.”

2. Glove Microbial Contamination. This can occur during manufacturing, linked to unsanitary factory conditions and polluted water sources. Because food-compliant gloves are not tested for microbial contamination, lack of glove sanitation becomes a significant business risk, impacting food safety, public health and the well-being of glove wearers.

   *“enterotoxigenic strains of Bacillus cereus and B. anthracis, along with the presence of Listeria monocytogenes, Clostridoides difficile, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, isolated from unused, disposable gloves.”

3. Glove Chemical Contamination. Hazardous glove chemicals are attributed to endocrine system disruption, carcinogenicity, fertility issues and metabolic disorders. They can migrate into foods, posing risks to consumers, with exposure also occurring through the skin, affecting the glove wearer’s skin and health.

   *“Direct chemical contaminants of concern include known allergens, phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and uncharacterized food contact chemicals present in gloves which may have evaded safety testing. Current extractive testing is inadequate…”

Your HACCP Plans and Gloves

The food industry is recognizing the contamination risks of disposable gloves and moving towards strengthening their HACCP plans to mitigate this unnecessary risk.

We recommend fortifying your HACCP plan by specifying Delta Zero verified Eagle nitrile gloves, the only independently tested gloves in the U.S. upon arrival. Ensure industry-leading glove food safety standards that prevent contamination from entering your facility.

Solution: Delta Zero

Eagle Protect gloves independently lab tested in the U.S. for:

• Microbial contamination
• Food safe ingredients
• Harmful toxins and chemicals
• Durability and performance