Bihar prohibits Pan Masala

The State Government of Bihar on September 02, 2019, has prohibited the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, display or sale of Pan Masala containing Magnesium Carbonate as ingredients for a period of one year from September 02, 2019

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER OF FOOD SAFETY

ORDER 

The 2nd September 2019  

No: FSC/22/2012/1114(15) - WHEREAS, 03 samples of Pan Masala of different brands, namely Shikar Pan Masala, Vimal Pan Masala and Sir Gold Pan Masala were collected from different districts of Bihar for test and analysis during August, 2019. And, all the samples were found to contain magnesium carbonate as an ingredient in it;

AND WHEREAS, 03 samples of Pan Masala collected under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006), were found to contain Magnesium Carbonate as an ingredient;

AND WHEREAS, it is found Pan Masala for years together leads to Acute Hyper Magnesia and sometime leads to cardiac arrest;

AND WHEREAS, 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

However, 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, which specifies the Anticaking Agents.

AND WHEREAS, it is expedient in the interest of public health to prohibit the manufacture, storage, distribution, transp Magnesium Carbonate in the State of Bihar, being food products in which Magnesium Carbonate is widely used as ingredients

AND WHEREAS, the Commissioner of Food Safety for Bihar State is empowered under Section 30 (2) (a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 to prohibit for one year, in the interest of public health, the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, display or sale of any article of food in the whole of State. 

AND WHEREAS, it is one of the primary duties of the State, interalia, to improve public health, as a matter one of the directive principles as enshrined in the article 47 of the Constitution of India and, Whereas, it implicitly includes the concept of provision of measures to be taken for prevention of deterioration of citizens’ health; 

THEREFORE, I, Sanjay Kumar, Commissioner of Food Safety, Government of Bihar, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006) , prohibit in the interest of public health for a period of one year from 02.09.2019, the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation, display or sale of following Pan Masala brands, namely (1) Shikar Pan Masala (2) Vimal Pan Masala (3) Sir Gold Pan Masala containing Magnesium Carbonate as ingredients, by whatsoever name these are available in the market and any other products of above mentioned brands whether packaged or unpackaged in whole of the State of Bihar.

By Order, SANJAY KUMAR, Commissioner of Food Safety. 

———— PUBLISHED AND PRINTED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, BIHAR SECRETARIAT PRESS, PATNA. Bihar Gazette (Extra) 1038—571+10—Egazette Website: http://egazette.bih.nic.in