Short Answer 
Food handlers must ensure food safety and hygiene by using protective gear, especially gloves when handling high-risk foods like raw seafood. Specific tasks, such as scrubbing fresh clams, require gloves to prevent contamination, while other tasks may not. Proper hand hygiene is crucial in all cases.
Step 1: Understanding Food Handler Responsibilities
Food handlers are responsible for maintaining the safety and hygiene of the food they prepare. They must use appropriate protective gear, such as single-use gloves, to minimize the risk of contamination. It is crucial to identify tasks that require gloves based on the type of food and preparation methods involved.
Step 2: Analyzing Specific Food Preparation Tasks
When determining whether to wear gloves, consider the nature of the food being handled. Evaluate each task using these guidelines:
- Slicing fresh tomatoes for garnish generally doesn’t need gloves, but good hand hygiene is essential.
- Quartering fresh tomatoes for cooking reduces contamination risks; gloves may not be necessary with proper handwashing.
- Handling raw seafood, like clams, has a high risk of contamination, making gloves essential.
- Trimming beef for cooking usually doesn’t require gloves if hygiene practices are followed.
Step 3: Identifying High-Risk Tasks
Among the analyzed tasks, it is vital to recognize those involving high-risk foods. The task of scrubbing and washing fresh clams for chowder stands out as it entails handling raw seafood, which can harbor harmful microorganisms. Therefore, wearing single-use gloves during this preparation is not just recommended but necessary to ensure food safety and prevent cross-contamination.