Customer asks if these face masks are safe? Here are the questions you need to ask.

Is this face mask sold in stores a fake? Here are the questions you need to ask.

This display of face masks for sale was in the Kings Food Market in Garwood in late April. The buyer wondered if the FDA sticker on the box was real or fake.

Face masks are going to be a hot commodity for a long time because of the coronavirus crisis.

Greg Cuca of Westfield figured he hit a gold mine when he and his wife purchased a 50-count box of surgical masks — the paper, single-use kind without any respirator — for $49.99 from Kings Food Market in Garwood in late April.

The box had a seal from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

When he got the box home, he took a closer look.

“They look okay, neatly packaged and even a little inspection note. I tried to figure out where they come from, but the side panel on the box does not have a company name or location,” Cuca said. “There's a sticker with the FDA logo — and I can't find anything on the FDA website that matches the listing number or owner number — and of course, there's at least one misspelling on the carton.”

He wanted to know if the masks were “legal, non-toxic and safe to use.”

It’s a question being asked all over the country as states start some version of reopening. Many places, like New Jersey, require face coverings for most public outings.

But as we go about our days and run errands, we need some form of security that our face coverings are getting the job done.

HOW ARE FACE MASKS REGULATED?

We reached out to Kings to learn more about the manufacturer.

It didn’t respond immediately, so we went to the state Department of Health. It directed us to the state’s COVID-19 website, which explains how to wear masks and recommends using a cloth face covering, but not a surgical- or medical-grade N-95 mask, which it said should be reserved for medical professionals.

But it doesn’t address how you can tell whether a mask is of sufficient quality or how masks are regulated. Or when an FDA or other government stamp is valid.

So we showed Cuca’s box of masks to a team of experts from Rutgers University to get answers to these important questions.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Businesses that are open | Homepage

Donald Schaffner, a Rutgers professor and director of its graduate food science program, examined photos of the box and like Cuca, was unable to find the numbers next to the logo on the FDA website.

“Elsewhere on the package appears the phrase `microbial index control.’ Googling this phrase shows a number of links to Chinese websites,” Schaffner said. “As far as I know this is not a term that we use in the United States, which would be consistent with the mask being made in China and simply putting the FDA logo as a way to improve marketability.”

The FDA website explains that it regulates some masks but not all.

The FDA website also says: “All advertising and promotional descriptive printed matter relating to the use of the product shall clearly and conspicuously state that the product has not been FDA cleared or approved.”

“This would be further evidence that the FDA logo on the package in question is not appropriate,” he said.

Suzanne Willard, an associate dean of global health and nursing professor at Rutgers, said several agencies work together when it comes to masks.

She said the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has databases to search for approved N-95 masks and non-N-95 masks.

Then Kings came back to us with lots of information about the manufacturer, provided to the company from its distributor, including showing how to find details on the FDA website.

It was also very specific and transparent about where the masks came from.

“We had three different style boxes for sale, two of which from Acme Paper & Supply Co. had the same UPC,” said Kim Yorio, a Kings spokeswoman. “The other came from WBM, which was the box originally in question that was purchased in Garwood.”

Of the vendor that sold Kings the Garwood masks, Yorio said the vendor “sent us two certificates on Saturday, the second he shared with us appears to be the owner/operator number that matches the listing on the box.”

There was indeed a match on the FDA website, but we found the “certificate” interesting.

Is this face mask sold in stores a fake? Here are the questions you need to ask.

This certificate was provided to a vendor that sold masks to Kings. It has accurate information but appears to be issued by the FDA. It is not issued by the FDA.

The certificate has FDA logo and an eagle wrapped in the American flag, but we don’t know if it was created by the manufacturer.

“The certificate looks totally bogus,” said Schaffner, the Rutgers graduate food science program director. ""With the American eagle and the FDA logo at the bottom? It’s weird. The information on it might be factual but it definitely sends one weird vibes. This is not an official FDA form. This is a company that is trying to look official and FDA-ish."

Kings said it was the company’s understanding that the “FDA provides assets along a registration number once they certify a manufacturer; and then the manufacturer uses those assets to create the certificates.”

But wow. That’s a lot of work for a consumer to consider when buying a mask.

WHAT KIND OF MASK SHOULD I USE?

With so many masks on the market, it’s hard to know if what you’re buying will be sufficient.

For starters, leave the surgical masks and N-95 respirator masks for the health professionals, experts say.

When you’re shopping, select a mask that covers your nose and mouth with fabric that has a tight weave, similar to denim or cotton dinner napkins, said Mitchel Rosen, an associate professor of Rutgers’ Department of Urban and Global Public Health.

“The mask should be made from two layers. Some people add a pocket between the layers so that an additional filtering material can be put there,” Rosen said. “Wear the mask to make sure it is comfortable so that you feel confident wearing it when you are out of your home.”

Rosen said cloth masks can be reused and laundered regularly, depending on the amount of time you wear it.

Of a mask’s longevity, you can wear them for as long as they are able to hold their shape and the elastic holds them in place, he said.

But masks aren’t everything.

“Even though we are looking to return to work and re-open businesses, it is very important to remain diligent in the ways we need to act – keep social distancing and wear your mask when you are out of your house,” Rosen said.

Schaffner said you shouldn’t have a false sense of security when wearing a cloth face covering because they are designed to protect others and not to protect the person wearing the mask. He said social distancing is the most important thing to do now to control the pandemic.

And, he said, scams related to the coronavirus — including masks — are expected to rise.

“There are a lot of people out there seeking to make a profit during these pandemic times, and everyone needs to be vigilant. Something that looks too good to be true probably is,” Schaffner said.

He also said surgical masks are meant for one-time use and will break down if reused over time. It’s not the kind of product you want to leave in your car, he said.

The other question is price. Cuca bought the box of 50 masks for $49.99.

A quick Amazon search found similar 50-count boxes masks for as little as $14. Others cost more than what Kings offered.

“As a smaller chain of community grocers, Kings does not have the purchasing power of large national retailers,” said Yorio, the Kings spokeswoman. “Kings pays $0.70 per mask plus the cross dock fee which brings them to $.75. They sell them for $1 per mask. Thirty percent is the standard grocery margin.”

Cuca was satisfied with that explanation.

“Kings has been a trusted high-quality market with excellent meat and produce items and service,” he said. "And their flower shop is also well-managed and creates beautiful arrangements.”

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Karin Price Mueller may be reached at bamboozled@njadvancemedia.com.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.