ALTHOUGH Covid restrictions are easing in many countries worldwide, safety measures like face masks aren't going anywhere yet. So when it comes to putting the 'fun' in functional, what better than a face mask that lets you savour your favourite flavours all day long?
That was the idea of three students with a taste for a Japanese speciality known as melon bread – or melon pan – and who came up with the idea for the first-ever edible face mask.
Putting an idea into practice sometimes takes a little audacity. That's something that three Japanese students with a passion for melon pan know all about. The trio dreamed up the idea of being able to smell the sweet aromas of this bakery speciality all day long.
However, they needed the help of an experimental laboratory, helmed by Goku no Kimochi The Labo, to put their idea into practice, developing the very first edible face mask. Hopefully, melon pan fans won't be too put off by the bacteria the mask collects throughout the day, as it nevertheless fulfils its primary function.
So why melon pan? This bakery speciality is highly popular in the land of the rising sun, and is more or less halfway between a brioche and a cookie. It can even come in different flavours, from pineapple to chocolate. And what could be more appetising than spending the day with the sweet smell of chocolate stuck to your face?
You might think that this mask is a gimmick that serves no purpose other than to make people laugh. But, scoff as you might, it appears that this mask has passed the effectiveness tests of the Unitika Garmentec Research Institute with flying colours, which theoretically means that it's an effective face covering.
Incredible, but true! In fact, the "Mask Pan" even supposedly ensures a level of protection equivalent or superior to commercial face masks when it comes to blocking the transmission of the droplets and other projections that can spread Covid-19.
Still, the mask is likely to be marketed in a lighthearted way. The aim, after all, is to help as many people as possible accept this restrictive measure with a smile – as seen at an event organized to distribute and test this original product.
In Japan, "Mask Pan" will be available to buy from June 10 at the price of ¥1,800 (about RM67.76) for five pieces.
Website: The-labo.com/maskpan.html. – ETX Studio, June 10, 2021
