Bihar government BANS Pan Masala Brands

Patna: After imposing prohibition, Bihar government has banned manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, display or sale of various brands of Pan Masala brands as Magnesium Carbonate was widely used in these products pose a health risk to their users.

State Principal Secretary (Health) cum Commissioner of Food Safety, Bihar Sanjay Kumar said that the state government banned manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, display or sale of 12 brands of Pan Masala- Rajnigandha Pan Masala, Raj Niwas Pan Masala, Supreme Pan Parag Pan Masala, Pan Parag Pan Masala, Bahar Pan Masala, Bahubali Pan Masala, Rajshree Pan Masala, Rounak Pan Masala, Signature Pan Masala, Pasan Pan Masala, Kamla Pasand Pan Masala, Madhu Pan Masala for one year. He said these products contained Magnesium Carbonate as ingredients, by whatsoever name these are available in the market and any other products whether packaged or unpackaged in whole of the State of Bihar.

Mr Kumar said 20 samples of Pan Masala of various brands were collected from different districts of the state for test and analysis from June to August 2019. He said all the samples were found to contain magnesium carbonate as an ingredient in it. All 20 samples of Pan Masala collected under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006).

Mr Kumar said it has been found as per scientific research that consumption of Pan Masala for years together leads to Acute Hyper Magnesia and sometimes leads to cardiac arrest. Pan Masala is an article of food, which contains Magnesium Carbonate as an ingredient and thus contravenes Regulation 3.1.7 of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives), Regulations, 2011.

"It is expedient in the interest of public health to prohibit the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation or sale of Pan Masala containing Magnesium Carbonate in the State of Bihar, being food products in which Magnesium Carbonate is widely used as ingredients," the order stated.

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