A Clean Pair of Hands
We’ve now entered our second lock down in England and, it’s evident that Coronavirus isn’t going away any time soon. The role of personal hygiene in preventing the spread of infection has never been more important. Washing our hands thoroughly is a given; the evidence shows that wearing masks is effective, especially when combined with social distancing. I know there are some who don’t agree but, personally, I don’t consider wearing a little piece of cloth over my mouth and nose as a threat to my freedom. Protecting myself is crucial to protecting the health of my family and keeping Truffle Witch open for business. Protecting the safety of strangers is not only a means of halting the virus, it’s community spirited and just good manners.
Gloves, however, are another matter. In the early days of the pandemic there was as much controversy over wearing gloves as masks and, there still seems to be some doubt about. Disposable gloves are fine if used properly but, they often aren’t, outside of the medical profession. I’ve never been a fan of gloves and here’s why.
Now wash your hands….
It’s quite shocking to think that we need to be taught how to wash our hands but, it’s really easy to miss bits. There are some useful videos on YouTube that demonstrate this using paint. Here’s one.
As a professional Chocolatier and Confectioner, food safety is vitally important to my business. I’m proud of my 5 star hygiene rating and would never compromise it. I use anti-bacterial spray and hand sanitiser that conform to standards set by the Food Standards Agency. I’ve always got good supplies of these in the cupboard, along with blue paper towel rolls and disposable mob caps. There are no worries about empty supermarket shelves for me during lock down.
Chefs will tell you that their best tool is a thoroughly clean pair of hands and I agree with them. I don’t use gloves when I’m making my products but, I am a rigorous handwasher. This has always been the case and nothing has changed because of Coronavirus. It’s partly because gloves are a nuisance when I’m doing certain tasks but, it’s mainly because gloves spread bacteria.
Tainted glove
It’s all too easy to be lulled into a false sense of security. You think you’re being hygienic because you’re wearing gloves. You’re hands are covered so you’re not transferring bacteria from them to anything else, right? Okay, what about the bacteria on the thing you just touched that’s now on your gloves? Are you going to spread that bacteria to the next thing you touch or will you dispose of those gloves and put on a fresh pair before touching something else? Disposable gloves are usually called single use when they should, more rightly, be called single task.
Viral video
NHS doctor Dr Karan Raj shared a video on TikTok demonstrating cross contamination wearing gloves.
To be fair, he did also say that masks weren’t very effective!
Crazy, stupid glove
Of course, it’s not only about Coronavirus. Have you ever watched a TV programme like Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares? Some of the practices that go on behind the kitchen doors really are shocking. I think we all know that certain things are a no no, like storing raw and cooked meat near each other in the fridge for example. What about cutting raw meat then preparing vegetables in the same pair of gloves? Sadly, mistakes like this happen all too easily when you’re wearing gloves. Earlier in the year, I met a lady who manages a professional food preparation kitchen and we were discussing just this subject. In her kitchen, they have actually banned the use of gloves because too many mistakes were being made. It’s easy to see how. If you’ve just completed a task and got something sticky or wet on your hands, it’s going to be pretty obvious that you need to wash them before moving on to the next task. If you’re wearing gloves, you might not notice and carry on regardless, contaminating the next thing you touch.
From the customers point of view, it’s equally easy to think someone preparing or serving your food is observing good hygiene practices because you see them wearing gloves. What are they doing with those hands when you’re not watching?
Glove stories
I’ve been taking Truffle Witch products to markets and fairs for a few years now and I’ve observed a number of people selling food items alongside me. I could tell you some horror stories! I don’t want to scare you but, I think it’s important for customers buying from anyone selling any food items to be aware that things are not always what they seem. Below are a few things I’ve witnessed at events. What’s even worse is that some of them happened just a few weeks before our first Covid-19 lock down in March.
handling food and cash with the same gloved hands
wearing the same single glove all day and leaving it on whilst taking smoke breaks and using the loo (ok, this one might have changed glove while I was busy with a customer but, I was going to buy from lunch from this stall so, trust me, I was watching closely!)
flipping through a rack of clothes wearing gloves then returning to the kitchen to continue serving food in the same gloves
adjusting the air conditioning using a control panel that numerous people had previously touched, then returning to the kitchen
cutting up samples and taking cash in the same gloves
putting on gloves to serve a customer then, immediately touching hair and face
Glove action
“Okay”, I hear you say- “you’ve criticised everyone else, what do you do that’s different?”
Well, at events most of our products are pre-packed but, I do usually have loose truffles so that customers can choose their preferred flavours. The truffles are displayed under a cloche to protect them from coughs, sneezes and other airborne nasties and I put them there using a pair of disposable gloves like the ones on the left. I use a new pair of gloves to serve every customer and I take them off and bin them before taking payment. To finish, I use hand sanitiser. Every time, Covid-19 or no Covid-19.
I get through a lot of gloves!
If you’ve got it, flaunt it
Don’t forget, all food sellers should have their food hygiene rating on display. If you can’t see it, ask before you buy. If they’ve got nothing to hide, they shouldn’t be offended. If you have a complaint about a food seller, you can report it to the Food Standards Agency via their website. We’re sure you won’t need it to report us but, here’s the link!
Labour of glove
In the (almost) four years since I started Truffle Witch, my hands have aged about forty! Being in and out of water so often and frequent use of harsh, alcohol based hand sanitisers takes it toll. I think that’s probably something most people can identify with these days! I’m terrible at remembering to use hand cream but, I think it’s essential to protect your hands and nourish the skin; dry, chapped and sore hands are no joke.
Speaking of jokes, I’ve tried to lighten this rather boring subject with my terrible puns so, lets end on a high with a terrible joke!
“They told me wearing a mask and gloves was enough when leaving the house. They lied. Everyone else in the supermarket was wearing clothes!”
If you have any questions or concerns about our hygiene practices, please do ask. Comment below or send us a message.