Arecanut causes health problem, claims union minister
New Delhi: Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey told the Lok Sabha on Monday that there were certain studies suggested that areca nut has adverse health effects on various organs of the body.
“There are also concerns regarding it being carcinogenic to the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus etc,” the minister informed in his written reply.
“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,” the
minister informed.
“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 arecanut products that do not contain tobacco or in respect of chewing tobacco,” he said.
Reacting to the minister’s statement, G M Siddeshwara, BJP MP from Davangere, said that arecanut growers need not worry about the minister’s statement.
Since the arecanut growers’ associations have already submitted several studies related to the union health ministry, which said consumption of arecanut does not cause health problems, farmers need not worry, he said.
The growers’ association will again meet the minister and apprise him about the latest studies which said arecanut is not harmful to health, Siddeshwara said.
