Recently I moved from Australia to Spain, and I have noticed a big difference in the way that fresh food is being handled in supermarkets here. Here you are not allowed to touch any vegetables or fruit unless you put on a plastic glove, whereas in Australia everyone touches food with their bare hands. Naturally I wash all food thoroughly at home before I eat it, but sometimes I feel like biting straight into an Apple or have a handful of berries on my way home from the market. For that purpose I always carry some water with me, to be able to rinse the fruit. I admit I feel a lot more confident doing that here where there seems to be a greater respect for food in general. How are things in your local supermarket?
We touch produce with out hands here in Florida, USA as well. I have yet to see a place that has plastic gloves. In fact, I'd never heard of that until I read your post. It's fascinating to see the differences in culture and customs in places. Healthy snacking like that is pretty awesome. Perhaps I should take up the habit more often.
I don't have a problem with handling produce directly as I know I am going to wash it when I get home. A number of people will pop into a store to buy some fruit to snack on immediately and they probably should be worried. I see people putting their hands in the bulk bins and grazing and that is a huge problem for me as I think that the kind of person who put their hand in the bin (or grazes at a grocery store) isn't the kind of person who is concerned about their hygiene. We do have small plactic sheets that people are supposed to use in the bulk bakery section to pick up buns and other items - this seems like a reasonable idea to me. If I were going to buy produce and eat it immediately without washing, I think I would stick to something like an orange or banana which I would be peeling and discarding the peel.
I agree that there should be gloves when people are touching perishable goods. Because sweat and other chemicals in the hand might shorten the shelf life of the vegetables. They make those vegetables prone to bacterial attack and exposure. So, it's always best to take precautionary measures!
Over here the fruits and vegetables are sealed in tight plastic, so shoppers can just pick them and buy them according to their weight. As far as fresh foods are concerned, I know liver is already pre-sealed according to their weight, but for the pork and chicken I can see the people who cut them have their hands covered in plastic gloves.