New Tariffs Could Flood U.S. With Defective Disposable Gloves, Safety Expert Warns of Risks

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - EntSun -- Millions of disposable gloves used daily in hospitals, restaurants and food processing plants could soon be dangerously compromised, putting workers and the public at risk.

New U.S. tariffs on imported disposable gloves are driving glove costs up by 15–25% and could trigger the same kinds of cost-cutting shortcuts seen during the COVID-19 pandemic—when defective gloves, toxic fillers, reused gloves, together with product and packaging fraud entered the supply chain.

"We're at potential risk of repeating the PPE quality disaster of the pandemic," said Steve Ardagh, CEO and founder of Eagle Protect PBC, who has spent 20 years visiting and auditing glove factories in southeast Asia. "These shortcuts don't just reduce quality, they put healthcare workers, food handlers and the public at risk."

The Hidden Dangers

First-hand factory visits, supported by the latest glove science, reveal potential risks when manufacturers cut corners:

• Short-count packaging: 95 gloves sold as "100" and often hiding defective rejects.
• Factory rejects in the box: Up to 20% of gloves with holes, tears or failed barrier protection.
• Cheap toxic fillers: Up to 25% chalk or filler substances that increase weight, but weaken gloves and increase rip rates.
• Contaminated raw materials: Cheap, unsafe compounds causing skin reactions and allergic responses.
• Compromised manufacturing hygiene standards: Polluted water sources with insufficient heating temperatures and filtration allow pathogens like Listeria and E. coli to survive.
• Unethical labor: Increased use of forced or underpaid labor, reducing quality oversight.

Why This Matters

• Healthcare: Faulty gloves can lead to infections and immunocompromised complications
• Food Service & Processing: Chemical and pathogen contamination, glove fragments in food, costly recalls, brand damage.
• Distributors: Increased liability and regulatory exposure if unsafe PPE reaches customers.
• Workers: Reduced protection and increased risk of injury, illness or allergic reactions.

What Needs to Happen Now

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Ardagh calls for urgent action by industry leaders, regulators and procurement teams:

• Enforce supplier verification, including in person factory audits and updated Certificates of Analysis.
• Implement independent glove testing, such as Eagle Protect's Delta Zero™ verification program, which screens for microbial, chemical and physical safety.
• Tighten regulatory oversight with increased inspections on imported gloves during this high-risk transition.
• Publicly report quality breaches to protect frontline workers and consumers.

"During COVID, we saw boxes of used gloves shipped to and sold in the U.S., gloves with holes being worn in surgeries, and chalk-filled gloves tearing in food prep," Ardagh warned. "If we don't act now, we'll see history repeat itself—with preventable illness, injury and potential deaths as the cost."

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:

Steve Ardagh is a glove industry expert with 20 years of global factory inspection experience and documented evidence of quality compromises during past tariff and supply chain crises.

Peer reviewed research highlighting glove contamination risks to businesses and the public is available  in the Journal of Food Protection. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0362028X2400067X?via%3Dihub#ab005)

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