Oregon bans NR latex gloves in food preparation

PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug. 16)—The Oregon Department of Human Services has issued a rule banning natural rubber latex gloves in food preparation, effective March 1. "A couple of dozen" workers' compensation claims from food workers who used latex gloves, as well as 18 reported allergic reactions from latex-sensitive Oregonians who ate in restaurants where food was handled with latex gloves, prompted the rule, according to Michael Heumann, an environmental epidemiologist with Oregon Public Health Services. The Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council decried the ban as unnecessary, noting that synthetic replacements for latex gloves also have created health concerns.