What Is Nitrile?

We get asked quite a lot what nitrile actually is. Simply put, nitrile (nitrile butadiene rubber) is a synthetic, latex-free rubber. Nitrile disposable gloves have characteristics similar to latex such as their elasticity and strength, but do not contain the latex proteins people can be highly sensitive or even allergic to!

For a multiple of safety reasons, we recommend nitrile gloves for food handling and medical environments. Due to the differing qualities of raw materials and manufacturing processes, not all nitrile disposable gloves have the same safety qualities. Here are a few things to consider when purchasing nitrile gloves.

REDUCED CROSS-CONTAMINATION RISK

• Eagle’s Sensitive and Light & Tough nitrile gloves reduce the risk of cross-contamination, simply because of their unique surface characteristics due to high-quality manufacturing.
• Higher-quality nitrile gloves rip/tearless frequently (read more).
• AQL (number of pinhole defects per box) effects safety. Unlike the medical industries, there are no AQL requirements for foodservice gloves, meaning there are no guidelines for the number of failures per box. Choosing a nitrile glove that exceeds medical-grade standards provides superior protection.
  
  

GLOVE QUALITY

• Gloves made in dirty factories can be contaminated with bacteria before you even use them.
• Cheap gloves can contain fillers like chalk or silica to reduce the cost of manufacturing. These can be toxic to the wearer, and reduce glove strength and flexibility making them more prone to tearing. Watch our quick & easy video on the best trick to estimate the quality of your own disposable gloves. 
  
  

WORKER SAFETY

• Poor-fitting gloves can cause hand injuries.
• Low-quality materials can contain toxic compounds which can induce skin disease.
• Disposable glove manufacturing has been identified as a high-risk industry for labour abuse. Eagle Protect gloves are produced in Child Labor Free* certified factories.
  
  

Eagle Protect supplies responsibly sourced disposable nitrile gloves, which exceed examination grade AQL requirements. They are produced with high-quality ingredients and manufacturing processes, providing your workers and your product/service with a superior quality of barrier protection against bacteria and virus.

*The organisation behind Child Labor Free has ceased offering accreditation renewal, effective December 2020.