Question : Consumption of Areca Nut

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether consumption of areca nut reportedly has adverse impact on health and if so, the details thereof;

(b) the provisions laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) with regard to gutka, pan masala and other sweet/scented/flavoured areca nut products and chewing tobacco in the country;

(c) whether certain States/UTs have imposed ban on the marketing and consumption of the flavoured areca nut products and chewing tobacco, if so, the details thereof and the steps being taken by the Government to ban the same throughout the country;

(d) whether marketing and consumption of the aforesaid areca nut products and chewing tobacco have been reported from certain parts of the country after ban and if so, the details of such products thereof, State/UT-wise; and

(e) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to regulate/curb the advertisements of such harmful products in the country?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a): There are certain studies suggesting that areca nut has adverse health effects on various organs of the body. There are also concerns regarding its being carcinogenic to the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus etc.
(b): The standards of Arecanuts or Betelnuts or Supari and Pan Masala are prescribed under sub-regulation 2.3.55 and 2.11.5 respectively of Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011. Gutka, sweet/scented/flavoured arecanut products and chewing tobacco are not separately mentioned in these Regulations. Use of tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in any food products is prohibited under clause 2.3.4 of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011.

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(c) & (d): Use of tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in any food products including products of arecanut is already prohibited under the Regulations. However, FSSAI has no information about ban imposed by States/UTs on marketing and consumption of flavoured areca nut products that do not contain tobacco or in respect of chewing tobacco.
(e): As per sub-regulation 2.4.5, clause 31 of Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, every package of supari and advertisement relating thereto shall carry the warning “Chewing of Supari is injurious to Health”.
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