Handling Food After Touching Cleaning Rags With Gloves... Hygiene Controversy Erupts

Cleaning and Cooking Repeated with the Same Blue Gloves
"Gloves Make It Easier to Overlook Hygiene Than Bare Hands," Say Commenters

A video showing an employee at a popular shaved ice franchise store’s kitchen repeatedly handling both cleaning tools and food ingredients while wearing the same pair of disposable gloves has gone viral, sparking a hygiene controversy. On July 19, footage capturing the busy kitchen environment of a shaved ice shop during the summer was shared on social media and online platforms. In the video, a male employee, believed to be a staff member, is seen wearing blue disposable gloves while preparing menu items that have been ordered.

A video showing an employee at a popular shaved ice franchise store’s kitchen repeatedly handling both cleaning tools and food ingredients while wearing the same pair of disposable gloves has gone viral, sparking a hygiene controversy. Screenshot from social media

The man was seen tidying up utensils such as bowls and syrup containers before handling slices of bread, then grabbing a cleaning rag, and later touching ingredients like cookies and mango, which are used in shaved ice desserts. The video also shows him clearing away food leftovers and washing dishes. At one point, he even touches the drain strainer with his gloves still on.

However, the video does not show him handling food ingredients again with the same gloves immediately after touching the drain strainer. Since the video is edited and short, it is unclear whether he changed his gloves or washed his hands at different points during the process. As the footage spread, viewers pointed out that the crucial issue is whether he changed gloves after touching potentially contaminated items, rather than just the fact that disposable gloves were worn.

Some online users responded, "There’s no point in wearing gloves," "It would be better to work with bare hands and wash frequently," and "Wearing gloves can make you less aware of hygiene because you don’t feel your hands getting dirty." Others noted that this should not be dismissed as merely an individual issue; instead, the focus should also be on operational factors such as staff deployment during peak summer orders and whether food preparation and dishwashing work are adequately separated.

After the controversy intensified, the original video was deleted, but some clips and screenshots continue to be shared mainly on online communities. The exact store and time when the video was recorded have not been disclosed. SNS

After the controversy intensified, the original video was deleted, but some clips and screenshots continue to be shared mainly on online communities. The exact store location and the time when the video was recorded have not been disclosed. This is not the first time hygiene gloves have sparked debate.

At the end of January, a delivery worker posted that they had witnessed a restaurant operator pressing down garbage inside a trash can while wearing cooking gloves and then handling ingredients for hot pot, such as bean sprouts, chives, and green onions, without changing gloves. At that time, some internet users pointed out that disposable gloves are often used as a means of protecting workers’ hands, rather than for preventing food contamination.

Meanwhile, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food safety guidelines recommend using disposable gloves exclusively for a single task and changing them if contamination is suspected or when switching to a different task. The guidelines also stress that wearing gloves cannot replace basic hygiene practices like handwashing, and that misused gloves can actually become a vehicle for spreading contaminants.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.