If gloves are used between raw and ready-to-eat tasks, what is the correct practice?

• A. Reuse gloves for both tasks
• B. Apply sanitizer to gloves
• C. Change gloves and wash hands before touching ready-to-eat foods
• D. Skip washing hands if gloves are still on

Answer: (C)

Cross-contamination from handling raw foods to ready-to-eat items is the risk this practice aims to prevent. Gloves can pick up microbes on the outside during raw-food tasks, and simply sanitizing them doesn’t reliably remove those germs or stop transfer to foods that aren’t cooked before eating. The safest approach is to remove the gloves used for raw handling, wash hands thoroughly, dry them, and then put on a fresh pair of gloves before touching ready-to-eat foods. Reusing gloves across tasks or trying to rely on sanitizer alone isn’t acceptable because it doesn’t ensure a clean barrier. Skipping hand washing while gloves are still on can allow microbes to persist or transfer, so washing hands first is essential.