Plastic gloves are only superficial

Keywords: Gloves Kitchen coup

If we see waiters or chefs wearing plastic gloves to handle food in food stores or restaurants, we may feel relieved that this is very hygienic. At the very least, it is better to handle food hygiene directly. But, is this the truth? Researchers discovered after investigating that wearing plastic gloves to handle food may just make people look healthier.

If we see waiters or chefs wearing plastic gloves to handle food in food stores or restaurants, we may feel relieved that this is very hygienic. At the very least, it is better to handle food hygiene directly. But, is this the truth? Researchers discovered after investigating that wearing plastic gloves to handle food may just make people look healthier.

The team of Oklahoma scientists in the United States came to the conclusion after studying the number of bacteria on hundreds of tortillas purchased from fast food restaurants in Oklahoma and Kansas. The theme of the paper, led by the experimental team led by Robert Lynch, professor of occupational and environmental health at the University of Oklahoma, is whether wearing plastic gloves can actually reduce the likelihood of microbes breeding on food and consumers will reduce food consumption. What is the probability of poisoning?

Experts who agree with the use of gloves believe that plastic gloves separate the palm from the food and are therefore more hygienic because they constantly touch items such as money, raw food, doorknobs and faucets, and these places have the potential to breed disease-causing microorganisms. . Those who oppose the use of gloves believe that only gloves are new and they will be hygienic. If they are worn just to make people feel comfortable and not to wash their hands, wearing gloves will not help.

In the study, Lynch and colleagues selected corn tortillas as experimental subjects. They purchased 371 tortillas at 140 restaurants in fast food chains in Wichita, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, each time they only bought one. . About half of the tortillas were purchased from the gloved masters, while the rest were bought from unglazed masters. The scientists sealed the tortillas in a sterile container, which was then placed in a cooler and shipped to a microbiology laboratory.

In the lab, the researchers put a small slice of tortilla into a sterile solution and cultivated in nutrients to see what the president would look like, especially to see if the microorganisms that grew in our bodies would appear. The good news is that only a handful of tortillas produce the tested microorganisms, including E. coli (some kind of bacteria that can make us sick) and Staphylococcus (a kind of bacteria that is ubiquitous around the nose, mouth, and rectum). , Can cause skin infections).

The disappointing news is that there is no statistical difference between gloved corn tortillas and direct tortillas. The glove-treated tortillas increased the microbes by 9.6%, while the direct hand-processing of the tortillas increased the microbes by 4.4%. However, due to the size of corn cakes, it is difficult to confirm the real difference in microbial growth rate.

Dean Cliveville, a professor of food safety, said he was not overly surprised by the results of the experiment because the results showed that when wearing gloves, dirty hands almost inevitably soiled the outside of the gloves. He said: "The main purpose of wearing gloves is to make consumers feel at ease while allowing the inspectors not to pick any problems. The only possible exception is if someone has a skin infection. Washing hands is still crucial to prevent diseases, gloves It only gives one's heart a consolation."

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