KUALA LUMPUR – The Health Ministry has advised the public to use only food-grade gloves for food preparation.
In a post on X, it said that nitrile-type gloves (specifically powder-free gloves) were the safest option for handling food, as they would not leave behind any residue.
“To prevent cross-contamination, gloves should be used only once,” it added.
The ministry’s comments were made in response to a TikTok video showing a young restaurateur allegedly using yellow cleaning gloves to prepare food.
In the video, she was seen washing her hands with soap before wearing the gloves.
The video that went viral had netizens questioning her food-handling ability, which is risking others’ health.
“Those gloves are not safe to cook with and are not suitable for food preparation. Hmm..oh, My Goodness!” said X user @2kosong24.
“Oh dear. Is that glove food-grade?” asked @mfairuz039.
“Those are gloves my Bangladeshi friends use at work to clean toilets. These cooks need to be educated by MOH about food preparation,” said another user, @AimanAirin2.
Besides that, the ministry also said it offered food-grade certification for any materials that come into contact with food, including gloves.
This certification is to ensure that cooking products manufactured comply with strict safety requirements, giving consumers confidence in the products they use. – March 20, 2024