Choosing the Right Disposable Gloves

With a growing number of nationwide food recalls and outbreak incidents across popular restaurant chains in recent years, food safety has become customers’ major concern when they choose restaurants and catering companies. As part of a comprehensive food safety program, disposable gloves are critically important.

With the wide range of food prep gloves available – including PE, Vinyl, Latex, and Nitrile — it can seem daunting to choose which to stock for everyday use in your professional kitchen. This post will share tips to choose the right disposable gloves.

PE gloves are crafted for comfortable wear and ease of use. They are strong at the seams to offer reliable wear and easy on-and-off, perfect for frequent changing and light food processing tasks such as sandwich prep and sushi-making. These gloves are highly economical.

Stepping up to handling foods with strong odors, possible irritants like those in jalapeno peppers, or heavier bacterial exposure such as in meats, food-safe vinyl gloves are an excellent option. They are ideal for busy restaurants because they are very comfortable, fitting the hand more loosely than nitrile or latex, as well as modestly priced.

If latex allergy is not a concern, gloves made from high-quality, natural rubber latex are an excellent option. They offer an incredibly comfortable “second skin” fit and feel, making them a top choice for high-end catering. Chefs appreciate the ability to feel food texture and handle cooking procedures comfortably. Plus, latex is highly durable and a more earth-friendly option as it is a biodegradable and renewable natural resource.

For heavy-duty food processing, gloves made with nitrile – a synthetic rubber material demonstrated to be even more durable and chemical resistant than latex – are a sensible choice. Nitrile gloves are wonderfully soft and comfortable while providing reliable protection against abrasions, oils, chemicals, and temperature extremes. They are perfect for working with raw meats, oily foods, or acidic fruit that might cause breakdown in other glove materials.

In each of the glove types, there are both powdered and powder-free styles.

Powdered gloves are dusted with a light cornstarch that helps gloves slip on and off very smoothly, which is perfect for frequent changing. Powder-free gloves undergo a process of chlorination that creates a silky smooth surface and interior, and a highly comfortable fit.

For a full range of disposable glove options, manufactured at the highest level of quality and performance, NorthStarlight offers an outstanding selection. Your path to choosing the right disposable gloves starts below.

This Article Content has been made available for informational and educational purposes only. NorthStarlight hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the Article Content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.