food service gloves · • pathogens like norovirus –most common cause of foodborne disease...
TRANSCRIPT
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.