Food Service Gloves -Are they protecting you from

Foodborne Illnesses?

Esah Yip, D.Sc.Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council

9 May 2019

Food Safety Summit

Foodborne Illnesses

• A wide range of communicable diseases

and infections can be transmitted through

food – foodborne illnesses.

• Pathogens like Norovirus – most common

cause of foodborne disease outbreak

• Such illnesses in retail food industry –

mostly transmitted by infected food

service workers

Annually

It causes 19-21 million illnesses

Contributes to 56,000-71,000 hospitalizations

570-800 deaths.

[Center for Disease Control]

To enhance food safety

FDA Food Code

Prohibits Bare Hand Contact

With Ready–To–Eat Food

Food service workers must use a physical

barrier between their hands and any food

product

Gloves, Utensils

Question:

Do ALL gloves provide the same

degree of safety measure that is

needed?

Answer:

NO

Different Glove Materials

Different barrier properties

&

Different glove qualities

Important Criteria

➢ Good barrier capability

➢Minimum health hazards

Types of glove commonly available

Polyethylene

Vinyl (PVC)

NR Latex

Nitrile

Good Barrier CapabilityMost important function of food service gloves

To protect consumers from foodborne

illnesses that can be transmitted by

harmful pathogens like Norovirus from

contaminated hands of the food handlers

A single glove hole can release tens of

thousands of bacteria/viruses from moist

glove surfaces

Studies of Glove Barrier Integrity –

“In-use” Leakage Rates

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Glo

ve f

ail

ure (

%)

Korniewicz'90 Klein '90 Douglas '97 Rego '99 Korniewicz'02 Korniewicz'04 FDA '04

NR latex

Vinyl

Polyethylene

Nitrile

Neoprene

Barrier Capability

Natural Rubber Latex

Nitrile

PVC (Vinyl)

Glove failure

during use

Polyethylene (PE)

Nitrile

Natural Rubber LatexPolyethylene (PE)

PVC (Vinyl)

Polyethylene Gloves

➢ Poor barrier – tend to split at seams

➢ Thin film, extremely poor fit

➢ Poor heat resistance

➢ Good resistance to acids, alcohols, bases

& esters.

➢ For short term use only

Other properties

Vinyl (PVC) Gloves

In-use barrier protection inferior

to NR latex and nitrile gloves

Thicker film than polyethylene gloves

– no seams

Better fit than polyethylene gloves

Tear resistance – low

Heat resistance – good

Nitrile Gloves

➢ Seam-free like natural rubber latex gloves

➢ In-use barrier performance very good

➢ High puncture resistance

➢ Low tear resistance when breached

➢ Heat resistant

➢ More costly than latex

Natural Rubber Latex Gloves

➢ High strength and durability

➢ Excellent comfort, fit & barrier

➢ High resistance to puncture

and tear

➢ Environmental friendly – Biodegradable,

green products

➢ Can withstand high heat

ASTM Food Glove Standard - D 7329

Type of Glove

(Unaged)

Tensile Strength

(Strength)

Ultimate Elongation

(Elasticity)

NR Latex 18 MPa (min.) 650% (min.)

Nitrile 14 MPa (min.) 650% (min.)

Vinyl (PVC) 9 MPa (min.) 300% (min.)

Polyethylene (low density) 280 N/m2 (min.) 500% (min.)

Polyethylene (high density) 320 N/m2 (min.) 500% (min.)

[Note: 100 N/m2 = 0.0001MPa]

Latex > Nitrile > Vinyl

Latex

Nitrile

Vinyl

Potential Health Risks

❖ Latex Protein Allergy

❖ Chemical Toxicity

(DEHP in Vinyl products)

Cause of allergy

Brought about by the use of

an older generation of NR

latex gloves:

High residual proteins

High powder content

Latex Protein Allergy Concern

Where do the glove proteins

and powder come from?

Hevea Brasiliensis Latex

It contains:

▪ Rubber particles

▪ Proteins (~ 2%)

▪ Carbohydrates

▪ Inorganic constituents

▪ Water

(Hamann 1993)

Processing Line for Powdered Latex Gloves (Schematic)

Manufacture of Low-Protein Powder-free Latex Gloves

- Improved Processing Lines

Glove stripping

Water-Leak Test

Improved NR Gloves with markedly reduced

Allergenic Protein content(ELISA-inhibition tests)

0

100

200

300

400

500

600A

U/m

l

Old Improved Improved

Powdered Powder-free(RRIM data)

Use of Low Protein Powder-free gloves

Has been shown to by many hospital studies to

• Vastly reduce sensitization

and

• Significantly diminish the incidence

of allergic reactions in work places

Recognizing: Importance of Effective Barrier

Protection

Use of low-protein powder-free latex gloves –

recommended by

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH)

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

• American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

(ACAAI)

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

(AAAAI)

Low-protein Powder-free Latex Gloves

Food Service Gloves

Concerns in Food Service Industry

(1) Do latex proteins get transferred from

gloves to food?

(2) Can latex protein allergy reactions be

elicited via ingestion?

(3) What is Latex-Food Cross-reactivity?

(1) Study to show protein transfer from

glove to food (Beezhold et al: Allergy Asthma Proc. 2000 Sep-Oct., 2(5),

301-6)

Findings:

• Positive protein transfer from high protein high

powder gloves

• No protein transfer detected with low

protein powder-free gloves !

Study on transfer of proteins from gloves to food

[Beezhold et al: Allergy Asthma Proc. 2000 Sep-Oct., 2(5), 301-6)]

(2) Issue of latex protein allergy being

elicited via food ingestion

was examined thoroughly by the U.S. FDA in

2002, and again in 2003

Concluded that there is insufficient scientific

evidence to show that there is unacceptable

consumer safety risk if foods are prepared

using latex gloves.

Adverse Reactions via Food Ingestion

About 150 deaths

reported annually

caused by ingestions

of some foods,

particularly peanuts – (CDC)

No death reported

due to ingestion of

latex proteins!

(3) Latex – Food Syndrome

Cross-Reactivity

Cross-reactivity occurs in

allergic individuals when

exposed to foods with

similar proteins as in

latex

Allergic reactions occur.

Some cross-reactive

fruits with latex

As such , latex allergic individuals may

display allergic reactions in a restaurant

if they consume certain cross-reactive

foods,

whether or not latex gloves are

being used in the premises.

Chemical Toxicity of DEHP

30 – 50% in Vinyl Products

Another Health Risk

Phthalate (plasticizer) is added to make vinyl

products more flexible, the vinyl polymer being

quite rigid.

Adverse Effects of DEHP

(Well documented)

▪ Causes reproductive problems:

o Toxic to Sertoli cells (sperm production)

o Reduced fertility

o Ovarian dysfunction

o Structural changes in testes

▪ Decrease hormone production in females

▪ Fetus malformation

▪ Listed as probable human carcinogen (EPA, NIOSH)

Food Contamination

Phthalate like DEHP can leach out from:

Vinyl food wrappers

Vinyl food containers and bottles

Vinyl gloves

Vinyl Gloves with DEHP

Not to be used

In Food Kitchens

Directive issued

by the Japanese Ministry of Health

California-based Company

EAGLE PROTECT

discontinues sales of Vinyl (PVC) gloves

Due to growing scientific evidence of the

toxic effects of vinyl gloves to the environment,

to food safety and to glove user health.

http://www.foodsafetynews/2018/01/company-stops-selling-vinyl-gloves-cites-

food-safety-risks/

Environmental Impacts

NR latex gloves are derived from the trees. They

are green products, environmentally friendly, and

biodegradable

Non-latex gloves are made from petrol chemicals

often toxic and carcinogenic, and not biodegradable.

Their disposals by

(i) Burning – releases harmful chemicals, e.g. dioxin

(ii) Landfill – chemicals leaching out, poisoning the soils

and ground water.

Disposal by Landfill –

leaching of chemicals into the soil,

contaminating the ground waters, hence

food supply chains

Proper Food Service Glove

Management

➢ Select gloves with effective barrier properties

➢Wash hands thoroughly before putting on gloves.

➢When changing tasks, change gloves. This reduces

chances of contamination.

➢Gloves should be changed frequently to reduce bacteria

proliferation.

➢Replace gloves when you cough, sneeze or handle hair

or clothing.

Summary

Important function of food service gloves is to protect food consumers from foodborne illnesses.

Barrier capability of gloves against the transmission of viruses/bacteria from contaminated hands of food handlers is critical.

NR latex (low-protein/powder-free) and Nitrile gloves are shown to be gloves of choice

Food establishments are recommended to select the right

gloves for their food services to minimize the spread of

foodborne illnesses

Potential health hazard by the presence of toxic plasticizer in vinyl gloves and the inferior barrier of polyethylene gloves

should not be ignored

Thank you

for your

attention

About the speaker:

Dr. Esah S. Yip. is the Director of the Malaysian Rubber Export

Promotion Council (MREPC), a non-profit organization of the Malaysian

government. One of its major functions is to serve as an education and

information centre for the rubber product industry focusing particularly on

gloves, Malaysia being the world’s largest glove exporter. She works

closely with standard setting and regulatory authorities such as the

American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the U.S. Food

and Drug Administration (FDA), and with other governmental

organizations, and trade, consumer and public interest groups.