California Lawmakers Consider Emergency Action On Restaurant Glove Law

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — California lawmakers are calling a new law requiring food workers to wear gloves a mistake, and that the effort to make food safer wasn't well thought out.

Lawmakers are now admitting they've bitten off more than California restaurant and bar owners can chew by requiring chefs and bartenders to wear latex gloves when handling food or drinks.

"We have discovered that the strategy doesn't work for a vast number of our local restaurants and bars," said Assembly health committee chair Richard Pan.

After pushback from the restaurant industry, Pan is calling for an emergency bill to modify the requirement.

Some restaurant owners across the state say even with the new law, wearing rubber gloves does not guarantee cleanliness. They believe it actually discourages cooks from washing their hands.

"You can have a dirty glove and contaminate food, you can wash your hands and keep the food very clean," Pan said.

And some small restaurants are being forced to dig a little deeper.

"A couple of hundred sets of gloves per day, 365 days a year," said restaurant owner Randy Paragary.

Pan says he hopes the glove law confusion will be clarified by those who understand best practices.

The emergency bill is now headed back to the health committee before being a vote on the Assembly floor.