May 6, 2017

Govt bans gutka, pan masala in State

PANJIM: The State Government on Thursday issued an order prohibiting manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of food products containing tobacco or nicotine like gutkha and pan masala in the State for one year.
The ban also applies to processed, flavoured, scented, chewing tobacco, whether packaged or unpackaged or sold as one or separate products.
Commissioner of Food Safety, B R Singh, said that in the interest of public health, the government prohibits manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of gutkha and pan masala, by whatever name it is called, which contains tobacco or nicotine as an ingredient. “The ban has been imposed for a period of one year,” he said.
The decision appears to have been taken in view of the Supreme Court order wherein it observed that to circumvent the ban of sale of gutkha, manufacturers were selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets.
The notification has been issued under Food Safety and Standards Act (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations 2011 and Act 2006.

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