California Bartenders Must Wear Gloves

A new state law that went into effect January 1 requires anyone handling raw food that will not be cooked to wear disposable gloves.  Apart from sushi, it includes such tools of the bartending trade as olives, twists, fruit, ice and so on.

Think of a busy bar where cocktails using a squeeze of fruit or herbs are mixed in at the last minute.  If the bartender leaves the glove on and handles bottles, touches the bar, removes dirty glasses and plates, uses the cash register, etc., then the glove is contaminated.  So what’s the point?  To be perfectly sterile, the bartender will need a clean glove for every drink involving ready-to-eat food and that will slow down the cocktail line for sure as well as add to costs.  As an alternative, bartenders can use tongs, toothpicks and so on.  There’s probably a tool for squeezing limes but wait, has it been washed lately?

We do think handling money and touching food is gross but we haven’t died yet. We’re grown-ups and can figure it out without the government’s help. The simple answer for patrons with even mild germ phobia is to order a glass wine or spirits without the fruit and veggie garnish.

We’re not knocking hygiene and we hope everyone in food service washes their hands well and often.  But in a state where plastic bags are banned in grocery stores – San Francisco comes to mind – are we now going to send heaps of latex gloves to the landfills?