When should workers change food handling gloves?

The correct practice is to change food handling gloves before handling different types of food. This is crucial to prevent cross-contamination, which can occur when pathogens from one food type, particularly raw products like meat, are transferred to another, such as ready-to-eat foods. By changing gloves between different food types, food handlers ensure that they do not inadvertently introduce harmful bacteria into products that are not cooked before consumption, safeguarding food safety and public health.

In contexts like food preparation and service, it is essential to maintain strict hygiene protocols. Gloves can harbor bacteria from one food type, so switching them before handling something different is a critical step in maintaining safe food handling practices.

The other choices do not adequately address the necessity of preventing cross-contamination. For instance, changing gloves based on how they feel or after a set timeframe does not take into account the risk of transferring pathogens between different food items. Furthermore, only changing gloves when noticing a tear is insufficient since gloves can become contaminated even without visible damage. Hence, the practice of changing gloves before handling different types of food is pivotal in ensuring food safety.