Campco urges Maharashtra to review ban on its flavoured supari products
The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (Campco) Ltd has urged the Maharashtra Chief Minister to address the long-standing issue of the prohibition of flavoured supari products in Maharashtra that was imposed in 2013.
In a letter to the Maharashtra CM, Devendra Fadnavis, the Campco President, A Kiran Kumar Kodgi, said Campco’s flavoured supari products fully comply with the Food Safety and Standards Act and are distinct from harmful products such as tobacco, ‘gutkha’ or ‘paan masala’.
The prohibition is causing undue hardship to farmers, traders, and small businesses, despite these products adhering to all regulatory standards and being legally manufactured and sold across the rest of India, he said.
The difference
Explaining the difference between ‘paan masala’ and flavoured supari, Kodgi said definition under GST tariff specifies ‘paan masala’ as the one that includes betel nuts with lime, catechu, or tobacco. Flavoured supari is betel nut powder, known as supari, that contains betel nuts without lime, catechu, or tobacco.
While ‘paan masala’ faces legal challenges under Food Safety Standards regulations, flavoured supari is fully compliant with Food Safety Standards Act and not prohibited in other States, he said.
‘Paan masala’ contains magnesium carbonate and other agents in violation of FSS regulations, whereas flavoured supari does not use magnesium carbonate or any prohibited agents, he said.
To ensure quality, compliance and consumer safety, Campco has proposed the regulatory standards for flavoured supari. Campco said product must adhere to all Food Safety and Standards regulations; and it should not contain any ingredients associated with ‘paan masala’ or ‘gutkha’, such as tobacco, nicotine, lime (‘chuna’) or catechu (‘katha’). It also said that artificial sweeteners, if used, should comply with regulatory limits.
Hits Maharashtra farmers more
Kodgi said Maharashtra cultivates arecanut across more than 3,000 hectares, producing approximately 5,000 tonnes annually. The prohibition on flavoured supari adversely impacts the livelihoods of these farmers and disrupts the uniform legislative framework envisioned under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The Campco President urged the Maharashtra Chief Minister to lift the prohibition on flavoured supari, ensuring fair opportunities for Maharashtra’s arecanut farmers and businesses while upholding regulatory compliance.
“We are confident in the Chief Minister’s leadership and his support in safeguarding the interests of the farming community. Campco remains committed to working with authorities to ensure safe and regulated practices in arecanut product manufacturing,” he said.