Nitrile is a synthetic rubber glove that is latex-free, puncture-resistant and resistant to oils and cleaning chemicals, which makes it the default glove for raw-protein prep, dishwashing and sanitizing. Vinyl (PVC) is a looser, lower-cost glove for short, low-risk tasks such as plating and sandwich assembly. Latex gives the best fit and dexterity but triggers allergies in roughly 5 to 10 percent of health-care and food workers, so many kitchens have removed it. Polyethylene (poly) is the thinnest and cheapest glove, made for quick single-use jobs like handling bread, deli meat or salad bar refills. Chicken Pieces stocks all four in foodservice case packs from Sysco Classic, Sysco Reliance, Gordon Choice, Hy Five, Handgard and Basicgard.

Glove thickness is measured in mils, where 1 mil is one thousandth of an inch. A 3-mil glove suits quick tasks such as plating and sandwich assembly. A 3.5 to 4-mil nitrile glove is the general-purpose kitchen glove for prep, dishwashing and cleaning. A 5 to 6-mil glove is for knife work, oily or greasy product and chemical handling, where tear resistance matters more than touch. Thicker gloves cost more per box and reduce dexterity, so most restaurants standardize on 4 mil nitrile and keep a 6 mil box for the dish pit. Standard Sysco Classic nitrile gloves are a 4-mil weight; heavy-duty 6-mil nitrile is listed separately.

Yes. A food-safe disposable glove in Canada is one that is powder-free and made from a material approved for direct food contact under FDA 21 CFR 177 or an equivalent standard, which covers nitrile, vinyl, latex and polyethylene gloves sold for foodservice. Under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations, operators must prevent contamination, and provincial health inspectors expect gloves to be changed between tasks rather than treated as a substitute for handwashing. Powder-free gloves are preferred because glove powder can transfer to food. Exam-grade nitrile gloves that meet ASTM D6319 are also food safe and are used where both food and medical duties overlap, such as long-term care kitchens.

Food handlers should change gloves whenever they switch between raw and ready-to-eat food, after touching their face, phone, money or garbage, whenever a glove is torn or soiled, and at least every 2 to 4 hours during continuous use on one task. Hands must be washed before a new pair goes on, since gloves do not replace handwashing. In practice a line cook uses 20 to 40 gloves per shift, which is why gloves are bought by the case of 1,000 rather than by the box. Budget one 10-box case per cook per month for a busy kitchen.

Disposable gloves are packed 100 per box. Sysco Classic nitrile and vinyl gloves come in 4-box cases (400 gloves) or 10-box cases (1,000 gloves). Gordon Choice poly gloves are 10 boxes of 100. Heavy-duty reusable nitrile gloves for pot and sink work are sold 12 pairs per box. A typical size split for a kitchen team is 20 percent small, 35 percent medium, 35 percent large and 10 percent extra large. Gloves that are too tight tear more often, and gloves that are too loose reduce grip. Sysco Classic nitrile comes in small to extra large in blue and black; blue is standard for back of house because a torn blue glove is easy to spot in food, while black hides sauce and grease stains at open counters.

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