Have you ever been at a pizza place and peeked into the kitchen to see pizza makers not wearing gloves?
There may be a legitimate reason for this.
Do pizza makers wear gloves?
No. Pizza makers don’t wear gloves for food safety and cross contamination reasons. If the pizza makers wear gloves, they will be under the mistaken notion that the gloves will keep everything clean.
They will be more likely to wash their hands more frequently if they do not wear gloves. It is really more hygienic for them to wash their hands frequently rather than wearing gloves. In any case, the heat from the oven will kill any germs, bacteria, or other microorganisms.
After the pizza comes out of the oven, the persons who handle it are not supposed to contact it with their hands, so gloves would make no difference, except that they would be more likely to touch it with their gloved hands, erroneously believing that the gloves would keep their hands clean enough.
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Do Pizza Ovens Kill Germs?
Pizza ovens are very efficient in destroying germs. Pizza places have special ovens that put out about 1500°F (800°C). At that temperature, most bacteria and germs that we come in contact with will be killed within 5 minutes.
Are Other Food Service Workers Supposed To Wear Gloves?
Some restaurants and cafes, such as fast food restaurants, may require their employees to wear gloves for sanitary reasons.
An example of such a place is McDonald’s.
If fast food restaurant employees do not wear gloves, they are unknowingly putting themselves at risk of getting food poisoning, because bacteria can still spread between hands even if the hands are not in direct contact with the food.
With this being said, it is unrealistic to assume that everyone has access to safe hand-washing facilities all the time.
In such cases, food service workers may take disinfectant towelettes with them and wipe their hands with them.
What Is The Health Code For Wearing Gloves?
Some states, such as California and Texas, have passed legislation requiring certain occupations to wear either latex or chloroprene rubber gloves while handling food.
In California, food handlers must wear gloves that are made from a latex compound.
In Texas, those who handle food or food workers that is “ready-to-eat food” must wear gloves with a barrier between their hands and their food. These gloves must be made from a chloroprene rubber compound. In addition to this, the food handlers have to have the ability to remove the gloves with one hand.
Related – Freezing take and bake pizza.
Conclusion
We conclude that pizza makers who wear gloves more frequently are going to be more likely to wash their hands under the mistaken notion that the gloves will keep them clean. They will be less likely to wash their hands frequently if they do not wear gloves.