Grousing in the food service industry recently took over Facebook newsfeeds and the complaints are lazy and uneducated at best. 

A new food handling law enacted Jan. 1, requires food servers to wear disposable gloves or use tongs when handling ready-to-eat food items. This new law  seems like a good idea, but it is raising contention among bartenders and food servers alike.

After years of not being required to wear food safety gloves or use tongs, California decided it is now unsanitary for bartenders to touch the lime, lemon or orange slice garnishing many alcoholic beverages. 

“I wash my hands so many times,”said Elliott Ames, a bartender at Vanguard on 1415 L Street. “I do not have to wear gloves we use tongs and it is not that big of a deal.” 

California code 103961 not only affects bartenders, but also any other food handler who might come in contact with ready-to-eat food. 

Entering a profession of handling food requires a food safety handlers certificate. The certificate must stay up to date and when food inspectors for the county audit a food handling establishment, they verify all employees are certified. 

With this new law, food handlers are given a grace period the first six months. So do not point fingers at bartenders who are not wearing gloves or using tongs just yet. 

After the grace period, people in the food industry will receive a warning and for every subsequent instance, the server will receive a fine. 

The spread of germs is currently a hot topic, especially with the flu going around and death tolls rising. This new code can help protect people from the spread of germs. 

When told about the possible wait time for drinks increasing, biology major Rahena Ali said she does not mind waiting.

“In a doctors office they wash their hands in front of you, you see them do it and then put gloves on, so [bartenders] can wear gloves,” Ali said.

The World Health Organization gives information about the positives and negatives of glove use. A negative aspect is the possibility of missing opportunities for hand hygiene. 

Wearing gloves can create the mindset that hands are clean and less handwashing can occur. Bartender’s and food service employees washing their hands less because they have been wearing gloves is unhealthy.

Most Sacramentans are not surprised this code was added. California has been known for setting the bar in cleanliness standards. Most bars have already transitioned to using tongs to put garnishes or fruit in drinks. 

“We were briefed on it and already practiced prior to the law being passed,”said Raymond Reed,a business administration major and employee at Epicure. “We use tongs for small things, gloves for sandwiches and, if rushed, we use strips of paper.”

All new laws that pass require a transition time. Upon hearing about this new law, bartenders were up in arms about being required to use gloves or tongs.

Gone are the days a Corona will be handed to you with a lime already in the bottle, unless your bartender takes the time to put a glove on and place it in the bottle for you.

New health codes are put in place for the benefit of society. At the moment the code seems like a nuisance, but in the end, the use of tongs and gloves will be an ingrained routine.