Who uses gloves when making sausage?

[smoker pete]

Haven't really seen anyone mention whether or not they wear gloves when they mix ground meats while making sausage.  Or for that matter when they handle meat.  I have never given it much thought until I started watching videos on sausage making and the presenters for the most part all wear gloves.  So I started this poll to see what the common practice among smokers might be.

I have these around the house and use them for many things.  Would it be OK to use something like this wen mixing ground meats and/or handling things like chicken, etc.?

[Quarlow]

Don't see why not. I am a get your hands in there kind of guy but over the years I have had my hands in some nasty stuff that may haunt me later in life. I just never think to use the darn things. I voted "no" but I should use them.

[LumpyDVC]

I wear nitrile gloves while mixing/marinating/handling/smoking any food products.

It helps that I sell them for a living (Safety Sales). The majority of the brands
out there that are "powdered" will be food grade. Check the packaging it should
have a food safe approval on there somewhere.

I change gloves as often as required. Makes life easier for cleanup, and your hands
don't smell. I could never figure out why my dog was so friendly. ;-)

Prices should range from $4-8 a box.

[Habanero Smoker]

With a good hand washing, there is really no need to unless you have open cuts or don't like getting your hands in ground meat. I will use the polyethylene gloves (the type you see food servers use while serving food), while loading the meat into the stuffer, but will take them off right after handling the meat. That way I don't have to rewash your hands before handling equipment and can start stuffing right away. But when I am preparing the meat for the grinder I don't wear any gloves.

[ExpatCanadian]

I use gloves...  I'm pretty anal about food safety, spent 4 years and a lot of money getting a Microbiology degree which I no longer use, but still have enough memories of all the nasties that can happen with improperly handled food  :(

Reminds me.... I went on a sausage making course earlier this year...  hosted by my local butcher.  However, during the course the 8 or so people that were on it took turns running the meat through the grinder, filling the stuffer etc.  But in between the meat was divided into 4 mixing tubs and we worked in pairs to mix the spices into the meat by hand....  BARE hands. All 4 tubs were then consolidated into the stuffer (it was a big stuffer!).....  so now we've got around 50lbs of meat that has been thoroughly molested by 10 people with god only knows what kind of personal hygiene.  We stuffed them and got to take home a share of the end product.

Mine went straight into the nearest rubbish bin outside the shop.  I learned a lot that night...  but there was no way in hell I was eating that end product  :)!!

[NePaSmoKer]

I use food server gloves that are not powdered inside or out.

[BuyLowSellHigh]

HabS is right on the personal hygiene.  That said, I use FDA food compliant latex gloves when butchering/cutting or mixing ground meats or poultry.  It's one more step that provides some insurance against contamination and in my mind helps reduce the potential for cross contamination.  One other useful thing I have found, when applying rubs if you wear a glove on the hand to rub, pat or press the mix onto the meat more of the rub stays on the meat rather than glomming onto your hand.

[Tenpoint5]

I happen to be one of them glove types. Most anytime I am handling raw meat.

[KevinG]

I happen to be one of them glove types. Most anytime I am handling raw meat.

I'll leave that one alone.  ;D

[LumpyDVC]

I just think of the show Cake Boss. All those people shaping the fondant with their
bare hands. How much hand oils ect is transferred? Then people at the reveal/party
just gobbling it all down. Yuck!

If you are going to use gloves, just be aware there is industrial grade and medical
grade. Industrial will typically be cheap cheap, while the medical will be slightly
more. I mentioned nitrile but latex is also good if you don't have latex allergies.

[FLBentRider]

I just think of the show Cake Boss. All those people shaping the fondant with their
bare hands. How much hand oils ect is transferred? Then people at the reveal/party
just gobbling it all down. Yuck!

And If you think about it, cake is worse than raw meat, since at least the meat will be cooked to an (assumed) safe temp, the cake is eaten "as is"

I am not a glover, but I do use them when I empty the RV "black" tank  ::)

[RAF128]

I try to wear gloves most of the time.   Whether I mixing meat, cutting meat of skinning a deer.   Even carry them with me when I hunt and use them for field dressing deer.    Only other glove I use is a fish filleting glove.   I use that one on my left hand for gripping and it's saved my hand and fingers from some nasty cuts from my razor sharp knives

[NePaSmoKer]

The FDA, USDA & ATF are the devil  :D  ;D

[TestRocket]

I'll use latex if it's going to get messy otherwise a quick wash up will do.

Question:
Is there any reason not to use medical grade gloves while handling food?

[Keymaster]

I use these Fancy purple ones propably 75% of the time. I like to just wear one and Moon walk across the kitchen floor  ;D