Answer :
Final answer:
A food worker should wear single-use gloves when working with ready-to-eat food to prevent contamination and maintain sanitary conditions. So the correct answer is option (c).
Explanation:
A food worker should wear single-use gloves when working with ready-to-eat food to prevent contamination. Wearing gloves is a critical practice in both healthcare and food service environments to maintain sanitary conditions and protect both the worker and the product from the spread of bacteria and foodborne diseases. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as single-use gloves, acts as a barrier between hands and food, thereby reducing the chance of contamination.
Regular handwashing is essential, but gloves provide additional protection, specifically when handling ready-to-eat foods. It is important to note that gloves must be changed regularly and hands should be washed before putting on a new pair to maintain proper hygiene. Gloves prevent cross-contamination by avoiding direct contact with food, which can carry microorganisms from the worker's skin.
Other PPE such as safety glasses or goggles are recommended when dealing with chemicals or microorganisms in a laboratory context but are not typically required for food handling. Food safety practices, besides wearing gloves, include keeping work surfaces clean, not touching contaminated areas, and properly disposing of gloves in biohazard garbage when necessary.