Should restaurants be required to let diners know if latex gloves are used in the preparation of food?
One Michigan lawmaker thinks so.
A bill introduced this week by state Rep. Larry Inman, R-Traverse City, would prohibit restaurants from using latex gloves unless a notice is prominently displayed.
Under House Bill 5724, the notice would bear the message: "Allergy Warning: This food service establishment uses latex gloves in handling and preparing food.’’
"We have a lot of restaurants because the Traverse City area is a main tourist destination,'' Inman said. "Requiring a sign is the least offensive approach we could take, short of a ban.’’
There are ample alternatives to latex gloves; many restaurants are already using them, he said.
“Other states have this notice requirement, so we are not trying to do something that’s out of the normal,’’ Inman said.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
At least six states either require restaurants to post notice that latex gloves are in use or recommend that latex gloves not be used in food handling.
Arizona, Oregon and Rhode Island have outright bans on the use of latex gloves in the food service industry, according to the website LatexAllergyInfo.com. The site also includes information on restaurant chains it says are latex-free.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its food code in 2013, recognizing natural rubber latex gloves as an allergen, the website says.
One out of 1,000 Americans develop a latex allergy ranging from breathing difficulties to a rash similar to poison ivy, according to the American Latex Allergy Association.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, in a post about gloves on its website, says a “significant number of people are allergic to latex.’’
It cites a recommendation by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health that non-latex gloves be used by food employees.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.