Keep your fingers out of my sandwich! How food workers should protect our ready-to-eat food

Ever been to a deli and watched someone make your sandwich with the same gloves they just used to handle raw chicken?

I have. And it’s not just gross – it’s dangerous.

Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods – the stuff that doesn’t need any more cooking before you eat it – are especially vulnerable to contamination.

Once bacteria get on that turkey sandwich or salad, there’s no “kill step” (like cooking) to destroy them before they reach your mouth.

So how should food workers be protecting our ready-to-eat food? Let’s dive in.

The Big 3 Contamination Fighters

Food safety isn’t rocket science, but it does require consistent practices and the right tools. Here are the most important ways food workers should be protecting your food:

1. Glove Up (Properly!)

Disposable gloves are like condoms for your hands when handling food – they provide a barrier between potentially contaminated hands and your next meal.

But here’s the thing about gloves that many food workers get wrong:

• They need to be changed regularly – after handling raw food, touching non-food items, or when switching tasks
• They should be discarded after use – not reused
• They must be put on with clean hands – putting gloves on dirty hands just contaminates the gloves

According to the FDA Food Code, gloves are strongly recommended when handling RTE foods to prevent bare-hand contact, which significantly increases contamination risks.

2. Use the Right Tools

Utensils aren’t just for eating – they’re one of the best defenses against contamination:

• Tongs for picking up everything from salad ingredients to sandwich fillings
• Spatulas for spreading and serving
• Deli paper as a barrier between hands and food
• Food-grade cutting boards that are sanitized between uses

These tools create distance between potentially contaminated hands and the food you’re about to eat.

3. Wash Those Hands!

Even with gloves and utensils, proper handwashing remains the foundation of food safety. The CDC reports that handwashing can reduce the risk of foodborne illness by 20%.

Food workers should be washing their hands:

• Before starting work
• After using the bathroom (duh, but you’d be surprised)
• After touching their face, hair, or phone
• After handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood
• After taking out trash or cleaning
• Between different tasks

And “washing hands” doesn’t mean a quick rinse. It means 20 seconds with soap, getting between fingers and under nails.

Beyond the Basics: The Full Protection Playbook

While gloves, tools, and handwashing form the foundation, there’s more to keeping your food safe:

Keep It Clean, Keep It Separate

Cross-contamination is one of the biggest culprits in foodborne illness. Food establishments should:

• Use color-coded cutting boards (green for produce, red for raw meat, etc.)
• Store raw meats below ready-to-eat foods in refrigerators
• Clean and sanitize all food-contact surfaces between uses
• Implement a regular sanitation schedule for equipment

According to the World Health Organization, proper separation of raw and cooked foods is one of their “Five Keys to Safer Food.”

The Uniform Matters

Those hairnets and clean uniforms aren’t just for show:

• Clean uniforms prevent contaminants from being transferred from street clothes
• Hairnets keep hair out of food (nobody wants that special ingredient)
• Beard nets for facial hair (same reason)
• No excessive jewelry that can harbor bacteria or fall into food

No Sick Workers Allowed!

One of the most overlooked aspects of food safety is simply keeping sick people away from food preparation.

Food workers should:

• Stay home when sick (especially with vomiting, diarrhea, or fever)
• Report illness to managers
• Cover wounds with waterproof bandages and gloves

A study from the Journal of Food Protection found that infected food workers cause about 70% of norovirus outbreaks in food service settings.

Training Is Everything

All these rules don’t mean much if workers don’t understand them or why they matter.

Food service establishments should provide:

• Regular food safety training
• Clear visual reminders (posters about handwashing, glove use, etc.)
• Supervision and enforcement of proper procedures

Why Should We Care?

You might be thinking, “Josh, I’ve eaten plenty of questionably prepared food and I’m still here.”

But consider this:

• The CDC estimates 48 million Americans get sick from foodborne illnesses each year
• That’s 1 in 6 Americans
• About 128,000 are hospitalized
• 3,000 die

Those aren’t great odds when we’re talking about something as preventable as food contamination.

Plus, certain groups are at higher risk:

• Young children
• Elderly people
• Pregnant women
• People with compromised immune systems

My Take: What I Look For When Eating Out

After researching this article, I’ve become even more vigilant about where I eat. Here’s what I look for:

• Visible handwashing stations and workers actually using them
• Food handlers wearing clean gloves and changing them appropriately
• Separate preparation areas for raw and cooked foods
• Clean uniforms and proper hair restraints
• Good overall cleanliness of the establishment

If I see a cook touch their face and then your food without washing hands or changing gloves, I’m out.

And I’m not afraid to politely ask for my food to be remade if I notice concerning handling practices. Your health is worth speaking up for!

In Summary

To protect ready-to-eat foods from contamination, food workers should:

• Use disposable gloves correctly
• Utilize clean utensils instead of hands when possible
• Practice rigorous hand hygiene
• Wear clean uniforms and appropriate protective gear
• Implement thorough sanitation programs
• Avoid bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods
• Receive adequate food safety training

Food safety isn’t just the responsibility of workers – it’s a shared commitment from farm to fork. But those final handling steps before food reaches your plate are critical.

Next time you’re at a restaurant, deli, or buffet, pay attention to how your food is being handled. And if something doesn’t look right maybe consider the salad bar at another establishment.

Your stomach will thank you.