(a) Ready-to-eat food shall be prepared and served with no bare-hand contact, unless such food will subsequently be heated to the minimum temperature required under section 271-2.10 of this Subpart or greater for foods that were not previously heated or, for foods that are being heated for a second or subsequent time, to a temperature of 165°F (73.9°C) or greater. Convenient and suitable utensils and/or sanitary gloves shall be provided and used to prepare or serve food in order to eliminate bare-hand contact and prevent contamination. Waxed paper napkins or equivalent barriers which prevent bare-hand contact may also be used to serve foods.
(b) The prohibition against bare-hand contact shall not apply to raw agriculture products other than cut dessert fruits and vegetables, and any produce which is utilized in ready-to-eat food service areas, such as salad bars and deli counters.