Surface modification of food processing and handling gloves for enhanced food safety and hygiene

Gloves made of materials such as latex, nitrile, and polyethylene are the most common types of protective equipment used to prevent cross-contamination and transmission of pathogenic bacteria in the food industry. In this study, we report a surface modification approach involving “fluorinated silica nanoparticles” (FSNs) to improve the protective ability against bacterial contamination of disposable glove surfaces. The bacterial antiadhesive (antifouling) properties of the modified gloves were evaluated with Salmonella Typhimurium LT2 and Staphylococcus aureus at bacterial concentrations of 8.6-9.0 log CFU/mL through the dip-inoculation approach. Bacterial attachment to glove surfaces were enumerated by the pour plating method as well as direct counting via scanning electron microscopy. The bacterial populations of S. Typhimurium LT2 and S. aureus on FSN-coated latex, nitrile and polyethylene gloves was reduced by 1-2 log units in comparison to bare gloves, which already reduce the bacterial attachment to some extent.