New York City Food Protection Practice Test

When using disposable gloves, how often should they be changed to prevent food contamination?

1. Once a day

2. Only when torn

3. Often

4. Every hour

The correct answer is: Often

Disposable gloves are an important tool in food safety, serving as a barrier between hands and food to prevent contamination. The correct practice involves changing gloves frequently to ensure that any contaminants, bacteria, or allergens that may have transferred to the gloves from raw food, surfaces, or hands do not contaminate ready-to-eat food. The term "often" implies that gloves should be changed regularly during food preparation activities, particularly between handling different types of food (e.g., raw meats and vegetables), after taking a break, or whenever switching tasks. This frequent changing of gloves helps maintain hygiene and minimizes the risk of cross-contamination, which is crucial in preventing foodborne illnesses. Other options, such as changing gloves once a day or only when they are torn, do not align with best practices in food safety. Changing gloves every hour may not be necessary if the gloves remain clean and intact during use, but it encourages more frequent changes than is actually needed. The key principle is to ensure gloves are changed as needed rather than adhering to a fixed schedule. Thus, the emphasis on changing gloves often helps to reinforce a proactive approach to food safety.