Sale with a catchSBB wants to get rid of 900,000 FFP2 masks shortly before their expiration date
Samuel Walder
4.12.2024
SBB is selling 900,000 FFP2 masks for 20 francs per pallet - an offer that seems unbeatable. However, the masks are nearing their expiration date and are only partially suitable as dust protection.
04.12.2024, 11:40
Samuel Walder
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SBB is offering 900,000 FFP2 masks for CHF 20 per pallet, as they are due to expire in December or January.
The sale is intended to prevent expensive disposal, as expired hygiene masks can no longer be legally used in Switzerland.
SBB's late sales strategy is being questioned, as masks are no longer even suitable for simple protective tasks after the expiry date.
A bargain that sounds too good to be true: Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) is currently selling 63 pallets with a total of 900,000 FFP2 masks for just CHF 20 per pallet. That's a ridiculous 0.14 centimes per mask - a price that would have been unthinkable three years ago, when masks were 350 times more expensive.
But the deal has a crucial catch: the shelf life of the masks expires in December - or perhaps in January, nobody seems to know for sure, as "Inside Paradeplatz" writes.
A race against time
SBB is apparently trying to get rid of its huge stock of masks at the last minute. In addition to the FFP2 masks, 500,000 hygiene masks are also to be sold. The stock can be collected in Trimbach SO.
But the clock is ticking. According to Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, the sale of expired hygiene masks is prohibited in Switzerland. If SBB does not get rid of its stocks in time, it will have to dispose of them - an expensive and time-consuming undertaking.
"We are aware of this," explained SBB on request. The sale is an attempt to put the masks to use in the short term.
A dubious use
But who buys FFP2 masks whose protective function is about to expire? The SBB media spokeswoman suggests using them as dust protection. A pragmatic idea - at least at first glance. But there are problems here too: After the expiration date, the material of the masks becomes porous and they are considered unsuitable even for simple protective tasks. No reputable company would equip its employees with expired material.
So which company needs 14,500 masks by Christmas - and can use them immediately?
Negligent or unavoidable?
The attempt to sell medical material shortly before the expiration date raises fundamental questions. Is it responsible to offer masks that may soon no longer be used? Or should SBB have acted earlier to avoid this dilemma?
An earlier sales campaign would undoubtedly have reduced pressure and critical questions. But this did not happen. SBB argue that they wanted to put at least some of the masks to good use instead of having to dispose of everything.