12.5.2020
Disposable gloves for food processing
It is not the same what kind of disposable gloves you use when handling food. They must have a suitable chemical composition suitable for contact with food.
The most commonly sold disposable gloves are made of vinyl plastic, latex or nitrile.
The labelling of the disposable gloves indicates their suitability for contact with food. For example, the glass and fork symbol generally indicates that the gloves may be used in contact with food. However, where the gloves are subject to some restrictions on use, such as for the handling of certain foods, the labelling must also indicate this. For example, not all disposal gloves are suitable for contact with fatty foods and this is stated on the labelling by the warning “Not suitable for contact with fatty foods” or some other similar expression. The labelling may also limit the contact time.
Gloves which are not labelled as being suitable for contact with food must not be used when handling food because their manufacturer may not necessarily have verified at the time that their chemical composition is safe for use with foods.
Consumers are advised to read the labelling of disposable gloves carefully so as to be able to choose safe gloves to wear. Consumers should also remember that the use of gloves should not be an end in itself, but that in addition to proper hand washing, gloves may be useful in maintaining hygiene in the riskiest stages of food handling.
Read more about the chemical safety of disposable gloves here:
https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/en/companies/food-sector/production/packages-and-other-food-contact-materials/question-and-answers/the-use-of-food-contact-materials/
28.1.2019
Use food contact materials in accordance with instructions
In the media claims have been made every now and then that food contact materials could be used under different conditions from what they were originally manufactured for. It has been proposed for example that single use paper cups can be used as cupcake liners when making cupcakes instead of using actual cupcake liners.
The inside surface of most of the cups currently on the market are coated with PE-plastic, which does not withstand oven temperatures. The cups are suited for hot drinks but they are not made to withstand oven temperatures, unlike baking paper and cupcake liners. Cupcakes are usually baked in an oven at 175-250 degrees Celsius, but a hot drink never exceeds 100 degrees. Oven temperatures are too high for single use paper cups.
Food contact materials always have to be used for the purpose and conditions they were made for. Otherwise it is very likely that chemical substances used in the manufacturing of the material will be transferred to food it comes into contact with. Some of these chemical substances can be a health hazard.
Adverse effects only appear as a result of repeated and long-term exposure but a single exposure does not do any harm.
Did you intend to buy a recyclable bamboo product, but you got a plastic product containing bamboo powder instead?
Many different bamboo products are offered for sale as a replacement for plastic, such as single use cups and plates. Some of the products are genuine bamboo products, and do not contain plastic.
But products made from melamine plastic, which contain bamboo powder as one component only, are also offered for sale. They are neither recyclable nor biodegradable, even though the way they are marketed would imply that they are.
It is worth being careful when purchasing. Read carefully the labels on materials that are intended to be in contact with food. Is the bamboo product really made from bamboo, or mainly from plastic? If you can’t find out by looking at the labelling or by asking the sales person, it is worth reconsidering whether to buy the product.
The labelling and marketing of food contact materials are not to mislead the consumer. It is not permitted to give incorrect information or false impressions to the consumer on the material these products are made from.