Short Answer 
Wearing single-use gloves during food preparation is vital for minimizing contamination risks and protecting both food handlers and consumers. Gloves are particularly necessary for high-risk tasks, such as handling raw seafood, but not all food preparation activities require them, especially when proper hand hygiene is maintained.
Step 1: Understand the Importance of Using Gloves
Food safety regulations are designed to minimize contamination risks when handling food. Wearing single-use gloves is crucial in situations where food may harbor harmful microorganisms. This practice helps to protect both the food handler and the consumers by limiting the potential spread of bacteria and viruses.
Step 2: Identify Situations Requiring Gloves
Not all food preparation tasks require gloves. It’s vital to recognize specific situations that do. Here are some key points to consider:
- Tasks involving foods that will not be cooked further (e.g., slicing fresh tomatoes) might not need gloves if hand hygiene is maintained.
- Cooking foods at high temperatures (e.g., quartering tomatoes for sautéing) usually reduces contamination risks.
- Handling raw seafood (e.g., scrubbing clams) always requires gloves due to the increased risk of contamination.
Step 3: Focus on High-Risk Tasks
Particular food preparation tasks have a higher risk of contamination and require gloves. For example:
- Scrubbing and washing fresh clams for clam chowder mandates glove use to prevent harmful microorganisms from spreading.
- Trimming and seasoning raw meats can sometimes be glove-free, provided strict hygiene measures are followed.