Romanian officials have ordered a recall of four types of face masks that deceptively claim to meet EU safety standards.
The warning was issued Friday on an EU platform and can be seen in all the member states. Retailers were called to withdraw the masks which are manufactured in China.
It’s the latest incident of falsely labelled masks entering the market. Face coverings are mandatory in all public places.
Two weeks ago, Romanian authorities withdrew 31 million face masks from the market over faulty labeling.
The latest masks are sold as protective respiratory filtration half-face masks in packs of 10 and labeled as non-medical masks.
The EU alert said “the product bears a CE marking but is not certified as protective equipment by a relevant body. Consequently, the product might not fulfil the health and safety requirements and thus not properly protect if not combined with additional measure.”
The packet carries the CE marking even though they are produced in China. The warning can be read in all the languages used across the 27-member bloc.
“We believe it is our duty to be extra alert, even more during the pandemic to products which are indispensable, Eduartd Cozminschi, chairman of the National Consumer Protection Authority said.
Romania recently made face masks compulsory in all public places after coronavirus cases soared in the country.
The CE marking is the manufacturer’s declaration that the product meets EU standards for health, safety, and environmental protection.
“Romania is contributing to protecting European consumers by calling out dangerous products that can enter the European market,” he said.
The masks are sold in a transparent and green plastic bag with zip closure and claim to conform to the EN 149 standard.
