More restaurants are catering for food allergies – but have not taken into consideration the latex gloves worn for hygiene

While many restaurants in the US are making an effort to cater for people with food allergies and sensitivities by taking care with their food preparation areas and staff protocols, they are also failing their potential customers due to the use of latex gloves for hygiene. With seven million people in the States already allergic to latex, many states have banned the use of such gloves. Restaurants in Oregon, Rhode Island, Massachsuetts and Arizona use instead the more expensive but safer nitrile or vinyl gloves.

The rise in latex allergies means that for many people, eating in a restaurant that uses latex gloves, it means risking reactions varying from rashes to anaphylaxis. Most people allergic to latex work in the health care industry where they can get through six pairs of latex gloves in a single shift. The more they come into contact with latex, the worse their allergy becomes.

Source: wjhg.com 

First Published in May 2012

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