While we can’t guarantee the efficacy of a specific PPE product, we can connect you to the right resources to help you determine if your item is authentic.
KN95
Effective July 6th, 2021, the FDA revoked Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for certain respirators. This revocation included all KN95 masks, which are manufactured to the Chinese standard GB2626 versus a U.S. standard. A searchable list of the revoked non-NIOSH approved respirators is included here: https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-use-authorizations-medical-devices/revoked-euas-non-niosh-approved-disposable-filtering-facepiece-respirators#appendixa
KN95s were temporarily authorized by the FDA for use by medical workers during the pandemic in response to severe nationwide shortages of N95 respirators. Now that sufficient supply of N95s exists and accessibility has improved, KN95 masks have now been removed from the EUA list.
While the FDA has revoked its EUA for KN95 masks, it does not mean that these respirators are not adequate for consumer use, only that they are no longer appropriate for healthcare workers given the abundant supply of N95 respirators. The revocation of the EUA for KN95 masks is a result of an increase in supply of N95 respirators for healthcare workers; it does not reflect any change in the efficacy or filtration of the KN95 masks.
We will continue to offer vetted KN95 masks in the Project N95 Shop specifically for non-medical consumer use. Our mission is to make personal protective equipment accessible to as many people as possible so they can live and work safely in their communities. Providing a variety of PPE that meets the needs of different individuals in different circumstances is an important part of that mission.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
FDA announced it is revoking EUAs of all non-NIOSH-approved disposable respirators, as well as EUAs for decontamination and bioburden reduction systems. (672 kB)
KF94 or FFP Rated Masks
KF94 and FFP rated masks are also not certified to a U.S. standard nor are they covered by an FDA EUA, so we don’t have any resources on standardizations that we can share with you.
In all cases we recommend purchasing PPE from licensed distributors and examining your masks upon arrival. The CDC offers additional guidelines on how to tell if a mask is counterfeit here.
At Project N95 we know it can be difficult and time consuming to vet suppliers and products. Our sourcing team, consisting primarily of volunteers, has vetted thousands of products over the past year in order to provide PPE and equipment in our shop that you can trust.
We hope this information is helpful.
