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Sustainable Packaging Supplies Servicing Supermarkets, Retailers, C-Stores, QSR & Foodservice

4 Common Types of Foodservice Gloves: How Do I Choose the Best One?

Whether disposable gloves, plastic gloves, powder-free gloves, food prep gloves, reusable gloves, or any other type, they all are designed primarily for one thing. Food service gloves are designed to prevent bare hand contact with food that you will serve to your customers.

The use of food handling gloves is instrumental in preventing the spread of disease-causing organisms across restaurants and small businesses. And when gloves are used in food service, they do just that.

While food handling gloves are effective, many food service managers and restaurateurs express confusion over which gloves are best for the application. Fortunately, the glove experts at Servous can help.

We offer a vast array of food-grade disposable gloves, vinyl gloves, latex-free gloves, powder-free gloves, neoprene gloves, powdered gloves, poly gloves, cut-resistant gloves, and more. Most importantly, our product specialists have the expertise to listen to your unique needs and suggest the best food service gloves.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to us today for a personalized suggestion for the best food service gloves. In the meantime, continue reading to learn more about some of our most popular food services and food-grade gloves.

Latex Gloves for Restaurants and Small Businesses

Latex gloves are the perfect solution for different phases of food service and food preparation. Latex gloves are ideal for preventing cross-contamination and enabling your facility to practice proper food handling safety.

Servous is the premium provider of latex gloves for food service facilities. Our latex gloves and disposable gloves are available in all sizes. As an affordable option for disposable gloves, latex gloves are commonly used in restaurants, supermarkets, and other food establishments.

Common Applications of Latex Gloves

Latex food-grade disposable gloves are often used by food service workers for:

  • Cleaning
  • Dishwashing
  • Cooking 
  • Food prep gloves
  • Medium duty tasks
  • And more

For more rigorous tasks, you should consider thicker gloves.

Why Choose Latex Food Grade Gloves for Small Businesses and Restaurants?

When excellent versatility is valued or required, latex gloves are supreme. They offer the perfect combination of comfort and protection. Latex gloves are puncture resistant and create an almost impenetrable barrier against harmful biological contaminants. 

A few key attributes and benefits of latex gloves include:

  • Super strong and elastic material
  • Biodegradable, natural material manufactured from rubber
  • Superior tactile sensitivity and greater comfort than neoprene gloves
  • Safe for long-term extended use.

Watch Out for Latex Allergies

One of the biggest concerns surrounding latex gloves are those with latex allergies. If a food service worker does have latex allergies, they may experience symptoms such as,

  • Runny nose
  • Sneezing
  • Watery, itchy eyes
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Cough
  • Wheezing

In the event a food service worker does exhibit these symptoms, choosing gloves that are latex-free will be the best course of action.

Powdered Gloves vs Powder Free Gloves

Latex gloves are generally offered in two different types:

  • Powder-free food service gloves
  • Food service gloves with powder

For the majority of kitchens, powder-free gloves are preferred. This preference originates from the fact that certain powder can cause skin irritation and even allergic reactions.

Nitrile Gloves Are One Latex-Free Alternative

Latex-free gloves are made from a compound called nitrile. This latex-free glove alternative is manufactured through a combination of butadiene and acrylonitrile. Nitrile offers a range of desirable attributes that make the material suitable for food prep gloves.

  • Nitrile is chemical resistant
  • Nitrile is comfortable
  • Nitrile boasts excellent resistance to puncture
  • Nitrile offers great permeation strength
  • Nitrile is waterproof and oilproof.

Nitrile gloves are manufactured to offer many of the same desirable attributes as latex gloves without the potential allergic reaction. Due to the manufacturing process, nitrile gloves were originally extremely expensive to manufacture when compared to latex.

Thanks to advancements in technology, latex gloves are now much more cost-effective. Most importantly, nitrile gloves have a lower allergic reaction rate compared to latex. Nitrile gloves are usually latex-free, vinyl-free, BPA free, phthalate-free, and usually powder-free gloves.

Nitrile Gloves for Food Processing

If you’re looking for food safe nitrile gloves, it’s important to choose nitrile gloves designed for this application. Simply put, not all nitrile gloves are deemed food safe for food applications. To find the best nitrile single use gloves, always ensure they are FDA Approved.

Disposable Vinyl Gloves for Food Service Workers & Food Handlers

As one of the standard gloves used in kitchens, vinyl gloves offer the best of both worlds between performance and price. Formulated from PVC, disposable vinyl gloves are engineered to provide the highest level of protection with excellent durability, sensitivity, and elasticity.

At Servous, our vinyl gloves for food processing are accented by a desirable silken feel and a comfortable loose fit. This helps improve the tactile sensitivity of the gloves and ensures a good grip.

Vinyl Glove Common Applications

Vinyl gloves are regularly used for

  • Serving food
  • Cooking food
  • Preparing food
  • Even light-duty tasks
  • And even certain medium-duty tasks

Vinyl Powdered Gloves vs Powder-Free Gloves

When it comes to choosing between powder vs powder-free vinyl gloves, the powder-free version is usually the preferred solution. Again, customers opt for powder-free vinyl gloves to avoid potential allergic reactions.

Vinyl Gloves vs Latex Gloves

The vinyl option is often considered to be the best gloves because the gloves boast a longer shelf life when compared to other options, such as latex. However, it’s important to understand that vinyl gloves are not designed to offer protection from potentially hazardous chemicals.

Why Choose Powder-Free Vinyl Gloves?

Thanks to a latex-free, powder-free design, our vinyl gloves are proven to be perfect for environments where allergens are a concern. Additional key benefits of choosing our high-quality, disposable vinyl gloves include:

  • Easy dispensing. Our vinyl gloves are supplied in a perforated, easy-to-dispense box. This simple design allows you to easily access one sanitary glove at a time. 
  • Larger sizes are available. Providing the right-size glove is key. While gloves that are too large are more likely to fall off, gloves that are too small are more likely to rip or tear. Fortunately, the team at Servous offers a large array of sizes to choose from. 
  • Ambidextrous. With an ambidextrous design, vinyl powder-free gloves are perfect for either hand.
  • Excellent form, fit, and feel. Vinyl gloves are known for offering more durability and flexibility.  
  • Retain excellent motor skills. These gloves allow the users to achieve fine motor control and touch sensitivity.

Polyethylene Gloves

Polyethylene gloves — also called poly gloves — are also for food prep and other light-duty tasks. In addition to being an FDA-approved food handling solution, PE gloves are a low-cost option for all types of food service facilities.

How Do Restaurant and Small Businesses Use PE Gloves?

PE is one of our most cost-effective disposable gloves. These gloves are primarily utilized for light-duty foodservice contact. While they aren’t as tear resistant as other types, they are extremely cost-efficient for jobs that require frequent changes. 

Our poly gloves have a loose fit design and are perfect for easy on and off applications, such as:

  • Foodservice lines 
  • Deli counters
  • And more

They are also excellent for applications that require quick changes, such as: 

  • Making sandwiches
  • Prepping salads
  • Serving Food

The LDPE material in itself may be more susceptible to tears.

Types of Poly Gloves

Whether you’re looking for more durability for short-term use or the ability to quickly change gloves, Servous can match you to the perfect glove. Below are some of the most common types of poly gloves we offer.

Cast Polyethylene (CPE) Gloves

As a great alternative to latex, vinyl, or nitrile gloves, CPE gloves can be more durable, thicker, and even more cost-effective. These gloves are perfect for short-term use, offering multiple off and on capabilities. Offered in more than one size, these types of gloves can be right-sided for efficiency and comfortably worn all day.

Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) Gloves

TPE gloves are among the best PE gloves. Thick, suitable, and designed to be worn for extended periods, they offer similar elasticity as rubber gloves. 

Designed with thick material, these gloves are known for their durability, which makes them the preferred solution for restaurants and small businesses alike.  

High-Density Polyethylene Gloves (HDPE)

HDPE gloves are the most cost-effective type. These single-use gloves are designed for basic use by small businesses. However, these gloves are very thin but perfect for light foodservice work where contamination prevention is the only goal.

Low-Density Polyethylene Glove 

Characterized by softness and strength, LDPE gloves are lightweight, thin, and suitable for light-duty foodservice work.

Contact Servous for the Best Gloves for Restaurants & Small Businesses

While choosing the best PE gloves for your facility can seem challenging, Servous makes it easy. Our experienced small businesses and restaurant specialists will get to understand you and your unique restaurant supply needs. Then we will guide you to the best, most cost-effective solution.

Contact Servous today for wholesale gloves from virtually any material.

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