A supplier of disposable gloves is warning certified organic operations about the risks of contamination of the gloves.
Eagle Protect announced that certified organic food handlers, processors, and producers could face decertification and food recalls because of the gloves. Eagle Product reports that the gloves may be contaminated with chemical toxins and microbial pathogens.
“In just the past six months alone, multiple organic-related products have been recalled for various pathogens including Aspergillus, Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, and even detectable levels of PFAS – or ‘forever’ – chemicals. To eliminate the potential risk of these costly product recalls, a range of Eagle Protect’s nitrile gloves comply with the USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP) guidelines and regulations,” the company said in a statement.
Recently Eagle Protect published the results of a 5-year study that measured the risk of glove contamination. Independent testing was used to determine the contamination of the inside and outside of gloves of 26 different brands, both new and used.
“The testing and analysis revealed fecal indicators on up to 50 percent of gloves, Listeria and E Coli, fungicides, pesticides, and fumigants — all of which can lead to cross-contamination in organic-related supply chains,” reported the company. “Additionally, an accelerator used in the glove manufacturing process is also used extensively as a germicide and fungicide. What’s important to note is that FDA food compliance standards do not guarantee a ‘food-safe’ glove, nor does it mitigate contamination risk for users.”
Steve Ardagh, CEO of Eagle Protect said as the proliferation and sale of organic-related products continue to rise, so does the risk of supply chain contamination. He said importers of disposable gloves are not subject to monitoring by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and therefore there is a risk of cross-contamination in the organic foods industry. He said Eagle Protect “is the only global glove supplier whose range of products are continually tested to verify compliance with USDA organic regulations.”
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