What should food handlers use when handling ready-to-eat foods?

Using gloves, utensils, or tongs when handling ready-to-eat foods is essential to ensure food safety and prevent contamination. Ready-to-eat foods are those that do not require further cooking before consumption, which makes them particularly susceptible to the transfer of pathogens or other contaminants from hands or unclean surfaces.

By utilizing gloves, food handlers can create a barrier between their skin and the food, thereby reducing the risk of transmitting bacteria or viruses. Utensils and tongs further facilitate safe handling by allowing food to be served or transferred without direct contact. This practice is especially important in maintaining hygiene standards in any food service operation.

In contrast, using hands could lead to direct contamination, especially if proper hand-washing practices are not followed. While spoons or spatulas are utensils, they may not provide the same level of protection as gloves when it comes to ready-to-eat foods. Sarcastic remarks are not relevant to food safety practices and do not contribute to the handling of food at all. Therefore, the emphasis on using gloves, utensils, or tongs highlights a critical aspect of food safety that protects both the food and the consumers.