Nitrile Gloves for Cooking

Every year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick with foodborne illnesses. 128,000 Americans are hospitalized due to foodborne illness each year, and 3,000 die. 

Which means that for your restaurant or food company, food safety is non-negotiable. 

One of the best tools in your arsenal when preparing food is a good pair of gloves. But choosing between the types of disposable gloves can be tricky. Here’s why nitrile gloves are the best disposable gloves for cooking. 

Why You Need Disposable Gloves When Handling Food

The U.S. food supply is among the safest in the world. But even safe, clean food can become dangerous when those handling food neglect safety. 

This is where a good disposable glove is a lifesaver (sometimes literally!)

For food handlers, a glove offers an easy, sanitary protective barrier between food and someone’s bare hands. It’s not a replacement for washing hands, but you no longer need to worry about any lingering germs--the gloves are already clean and ready for action. 

Why Disposable Gloves Benefit Food Safety

Of course, the benefits of disposable gloves go beyond safety for the food handler and customer. 

Changing a pair of gloves gives a food handler an easy way to transition between tasks. That way, they can don a clean glove each time and never have to worry about cross-contamination. Plus, you don’t have to worry about employees slowing down to wash their hands for 20 seconds every time they switch tasks. 

For the food handler, gloves also offer protection while completing their task. A good disposable glove is heat resistant and puncture resistant so that food handlers can safely chop and work on the stove without fear of injury, and supervisors can put employees to work without fear of contamination due to sharps injuries. 

What to Look for in the Best Food Safe Disposable Gloves

Of course, not just any old pair of gloves will do the trick. A great food safety glove has certain qualities that make it unique from, say, an exam glove. Even gloves for someone preparing a sandwich requires different protection than gloves for someone working with machinery or sharp objects. 

Let’s assume that you need a glove offering dexterity, sensitivity, and protection. This type of glove would make sense for someone helping out in a restaurant kitchen, and it would perform quite well for other basic food prep tasks that don’t require puncture protection. 

In that case, you’re looking for gloves that fit well to the hand and have excellent tensile strength (in other words, they don’t break easily when stretched). Gloves should also be highly heat resistant (after all, you are working with food!)

Regardless, any food safe glove should meet regulations set under FDA Title 21 CFR Part 177 and FDA 510(k) certifications, as well as rigorous testing standards. It should also be free of any potential allergens, since you have no way of knowing what allergies a consumer might have. 

Why Nitrile Gloves are the Best Food Handling Gloves

Out of all the food safe gloves on the market, nitrile gloves remain the glove of choice for safe handling. FDA- and HACCP-certified nitrile is one of the strongest glove materials on the market, and it’s ready for just about anything your food handlers can throw at it. Here are a few reasons why you should invest in nitrile for your team. 

Puncture Resistant and Heat Resistant

Nitrile is incredibly popular because of its remarkable tensile strength. It’s one of the most durable disposable glove materials on the market, especially thicker gloves made for food machinery. This makes nitrile impressively puncture resistant, which means it’s an excellent choice for food handlers. 

Yet nitrile is also impressively heat resistant. The material is made of natural rubber and holds its shape under significant stress, which means your team can always count on nitrile gloves to deliver protection when they need it. 

However, because nitrile gloves are designed to be fitted, food handlers won’t sacrifice any dexterity or tactile sensitivity when donning gloves. Perfect for adding the little touches that make your restaurant presentation stand out!

Allergen Free

Another reason nitrile gloves take a front seat in food safe environments is that they’re naturally allergen friendly. 

Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing what allergies a customer might have, which means your gloves have to be safe for any future consumer. Nitrile is latex-free, and a well-designed glove will even be powder-free. That way, you never need to worry about allergic reactions. 

Reach for Nitrile Disposable Gloves You Can Trust

Looking for a great pair of disposable gloves that your team can always count on? Our nitrile gloves are the perfect choice for the food industry, offering impressive durability combined with a comfortable fit so that you can always wow your customers. Check out our store to order your new go-to gloves today.