VANCOUVER -- A Port Coquitlam company that's making its own N95 masks believes it's the first in Canada to receive federal certification for its products.
Innofoods shifted its focus from producing food to making face coverings during the pandemic.
The company's CEO says a team of 450 employees quickly got to work when COVID-19 cases were recorded in B.C. and created a machine that can make medical-grade masks.
What makes their product different from others, Jae Park says, is its unique shape.
"The shape of our masks are 3D medical masks, allowing you to have a space between your mouth and the filter," Park said. "None of your saliva actually touches and it's more comfortable because the shape of your face is actually 3D."
Park says he doesn't know of any other Canadian companies with the same certification from Health Canada.
After being contacted by readers suggesting other companies had received Health Canada certification for N95 masks before Innofoods, CTV News Vancouver contacted a company spokesperson for clarification.
The spokesperson said the company stands by its claim, noting that Vitacore, another B.C. company that manufactures personal protective equipment, was approved for a CAN95 particulate respirator, while Innofoods was approved for an N95 surgical respirator.
Vitacore says its product is equivalent to an N95 surgical respirator. Innofoods says its product is the first one made in Canada primarily from Canadian materials to be approved as such.
Correction:
This story has been updated to clarify the company's claim about being the first in Canada to receive approval from Health Canada for its products.
