Is Your Protective Clothing Fit For Purpose?
Food scandals, quality control failures, and product recalls are not just operational headaches; they can erode consumer trust and damage reputations that have been built over decades. While organisations rightly focus on worker safety, the role of disposable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in protecting food products is often overlooked. At Eagle Protect, safeguarding food starts with a proactive approach to both product quality and supply chain transparency.
The Hidden Risks in Disposable PPE & Regulatory Gaps
Many single-use protective clothing items, particularly polyethylene (PE) products, are classified as “intermittent contact” and fall outside some of the stringent food contact regulations in New Zealand. However, New Zealand guidance clearly requires that personnel handling food wear clean, suitable clothing that minimises contamination risk and is changed or replaced as necessary (MPI, 2024). Complementing this, WorkSafe NZ expects protective clothing to be fit for purpose, properly maintained, and used correctly to protect workers and reduce contamination risks (WorkSafe NZ, 2024).
Eagle Protect takes a proactive approach. While not a requirement for all NZ Food Industry Standards, a wide range of our protective clothing products hold test certificates for food-contact compliance with either the FDA CFR 177.1520 or the EU 10/2011 test standards—international standards that verify plastics are safe for contact with food. Eagle certifications for these products are available upon request.
Beyond Compliance: The Case for Ethical Sourcing
In an era where transparency and accountability are increasingly critical, understanding where your PPE is manufactured is as important as how it performs. Guided by our Eagle Standard, we take a responsible approach to sourcing, prioritising consistent quality, ethical manufacturing practices, and supply chain visibility.
Through regular manufacturer engagement and verification, we ensure Eagle products meet defined standards for performance and durability, labour conditions, and environmental responsibility. This level of supply chain accountability helps protect food safety outcomes, supports worker wellbeing, and reduces reputational risk for food businesses operating in an increasingly scrutinised market.
Optimising PPE Use Through Insightful Audits
Even high-quality PPE can be misused or underutilised. Eagle Protect offers detailed on-site audits that evaluate glove and protective clothing usage, fit, and design. These audits help businesses reduce cost and waste, improve efficiency, and enhance worker safety, directly improving food safety and operational outcomes. Research into workwear hygiene practices has shown that poorly controlled protective clothing can introduce hygiene risks, even when PPE is in use (Lindström Group, 2021).
Rethinking PPE: A Strategic Imperative
The conversation around PPE in the food industry is evolving. Companies that approach PPE strategically, assessing quality, sourcing, compliance, and usage, are better positioned to prevent contamination, improve worker safety, protect brand reputation and help with their sustainability goals. Thoughtful PPE selection and management are no longer optional; they are a competitive differentiator.
At Eagle Protect, we work with businesses to rethink how PPE supports food safety, sustainability, and operational efficiency. Engage with us to explore insights from our audits and discover how proactive PPE management can strengthen your operations.
