Beware the false security of wearing plastic gloves

SINGAPORE is very fortunate as the entire population has access to clean water, soap and handwashing facilities. But are these actually used by individuals and by food handlers, whether in hawker centres or fancy restaurants? Anecdotal information indicates this is often not the case.

Parents who sneeze on their hands and continue feeding their children; people coming out of the toilets and leaving after looking at themselves in the mirror while rinsing only the tips of their fingers (including food and beverage handlers); and mobile phones that are taken to the toilet and then to the table, are common scenes. Many food handlers, most shockingly, wear gloves for all tasks with little consideration for the health of their clients. One can easily make a long list with these types of examples, which we all have witnessed at some point.

There are reasons for concern. One wonders if both the sweaty hands of the food handlers at the end of the day, and the gloves they wear, would pass random microbiological tests by health authorities. Equally important, shouldn't we, as customers, demand more hygiene in the handling of food that we and our families eat, which in turn will protect our health and that of our families and friends? Availability of clean water is a problem mostly faced by populations in developing countries. Lack of proper hygiene is not; it is a problem all over the world.