Unpopular California Glove Law for Chefs Will Probably Be Repealed [Hallelujah!]

Sushi and cocktail lovers rejoice: that pesky California health code law which required chefs and bartenders to wear gloves while handling all ready-to-eat foods will probably be repealed “this week.”

According to the OC Weekly, an emergency bill has been proposed in the California state assembly to reverse the glove law to its pre-2014 state, which required gloves only for certain segments of the food service industry instead of across the board. In its current iteration, the bill bans any bare-hand contact with foods that will be directly eaten by customers, including sushi, baked goods, and lemon garnishes. It did allow a six month grace period, though, so it’s likely many restaurants and workers never started obeying the law in the first place.

According to assemblyman Richard Pan, who proposed the bill, “It’s not about whether there are gloves or not, it should be about whether the local business and the health inspector have worked together to create a safe environment for the customer.”

TL;DR: false alarm guys. Phew.

Picthx Andrew Magill