Are Gloves Required For Restaurant Food Handlers?

[Boston Fireguy]

I'm throwing out this question while I await an answer from the NH Dept. of Health. Are restaurant food handlers required to wear one time use or disposable gloves? It has become so common to see the gloves being worn that when workers making sub sandwiches aren't wearing them, as I saw in a local sub/pizza shop last night, it stands out.

[SAMIAM]

Don't have the law in front of me but this is how most restaurants handle it.
Gloves must be used for food that has been prepared and being served to a customer.....in other words,you don't need gloves if you were cutting a steak but would need them to cook and serve it.
Most restaurants,as we do,use gloves for all stages of food prep.....but nothing replaces good hygene and handwashing.
I've seen restaurant employees make a sandwich, take cash from the customer,make change and return to making food again,all with the same gloves on.......Within the law but not too sanitary.
My pet peeve is those restroom signs that say "Employee's must wash hands"
Then they touch the door knob as they leave.
We have a policy that everyone who leaves the kitchen for any reason must wash hands with soap and water in the kitchen before returnng to work.
Just my thoughts and probably not to the letter of the law....hope it helps.

[Tomt]

Like SAMIAM said they handle the food and then the cash register. Drives me crazy.

[tis]

I have seen that more than once and wonder every time why bother to wear the gloves?????!!!

[Newbiesaukee]

I tried to find the answer but with limited success. Apparently, NH has fairly stringent requirements and has adopted the 2009 FDA food handling requirements. That probably sounds more authoritative than it is.

Anyway, food handlers handling ready to eat food such as pizza are required to wear gloves among other requirements. If the person is using a utensil, such as tongs to pick up a burger, then gloves are not required.

Of course, if the simple rules of hygiene ( and logic) are not applied, .such as,the worker wearing gloves to blow his nose, or,worse, and not changing a dirty glove it is all for nought.

I would prefer being served by someone who follows careful hand washing practice rather than by someone with dirty gloves.

[wynndog]

I have worked for Kraft foods and Hershey. FDA required gloves,hair nets & beard nets. I don't know how & when small food services get inspected.BUT
I do know it's not pretty when you get a hair with your meal.