A Comparison of Microbial Load on Bare and Gloved Hands among Food Handlers

Objectives: There has been a great amount of controversy in the food industry over the effectiveness of using gloves. The objectives of this study were to examine the microbial contamination of food handlers' hands and determine if using gloves could ensure safe handling of foods. Methods: Samples were collected through the glove-juice method from the bare and gloved hands of food handlers at work and were analyzed for the presence of aerobic plate counts, total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichiacoli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. Microbiological testing was conducted according to the Food Code of Korea. Results: Microbial contamination was consistently higher with bare hands than with gloved hands, although the microbial loads on both hands increased over time. Under certain conditions, there were significant differences between the bacterial loads on bare and on gloved hands (p<0.05). E. coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella spp. were still alive on both bare and gloved hands at the time the food handlers finished their work. Conclusions: Wearing gloves was associated with a marked reduction of bacterial contamination of the hands. However, the practice of continuously wearing gloves during food handling increases the potential for cross-contamination of bacteria. The findings of this study emphasize the need for a rational use of gloves, and strict adherence to hand hygiene compliance among food handlers.

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