Lok Sabha Question No. 691 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-29
Subject: Statutory Warning on Pan Masala Packages
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Suresh Kumar Shetkar, Shri Eatala Rajender, Smt. D K Aruna

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.691 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29 th NOVEMBER, 2024

## STATUTORYWARNING ON PANMASALAPACKAGES

## 691. SHRI EATALA RAJENDER: SMT. D K ARUNA: SHRI SURESH KUMAR SHETKAR:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government is considering to increase the size of statutory warnings on pan masala packets/packages to cover 50% of the front of the label, up from the previous 3 mm font size and if so, the details and the current status thereof;

- (b) whether the pan masala manufacturers are challenging the regulations on the ground that there was no scientific basis to the increased size and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the details of studies that have been done by the Committees formed under the Food Safety and Standards Act;
- (d) whether there is an inconsistency in warning sizes for similar harmful products, such as alcohol, that still has 3 mm size;
- (e) whether the FSSAI has increased warning size that was part of a broader public health policy aimed at enhancing consumer awareness in the country and was a reasonable restriction under Article 19(6) of the Constitution;
- (f) if so, the details and present status of implementation thereof; and
- (g) the details of violations noticed and the action taken in this regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (g) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Second Amendment Regulations, 2022 relating to the warning on the label of Pan Masala dated 11 th October, 2022, which came into force on 1 st May, 2023. The size of warning statement for Pan Masala has been increased for consumer awareness to enable them to make informed choices and risks involved upon consumption.

This provision was notified on the basis of the deliberations held in the Scientific Panel on Labelling and Claims/Advertisement and Scientific Committee of the FSSAI. The same has been upheld by the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi vide their dated 09.07.2024 in respect of WP(C) No. 4470/2023.

Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Regulations, 2018 prescribes that there shall be a statutory warning in respect of consumption of alcohol, printed in English language. In case, respective states wish the same to be printed in their local or regional language, the same shall be allowed without the need for repeating the English version. Size of statutory warning shall not be less than 1.5 mm for pack size of upto 200ml and for pack size above 200 ml, size of the warning shall not be less than 3 mm.

Details of various samples (including pan masala) analysed, found non-conforming and action taken during enforcement of various Food Safety and Standards Regulations are as below:

|   S.No | Year    |   No of Samples Analysed |   No of Samples found non- conforming |   No of Civil Cases Launched |   No of Criminal Cases Launched |
|--------|---------|--------------------------|---------------------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------|
|      1 | 2020-21 |                   107829 |                                 28347 |                        24195 |                            3869 |
|      2 | 2021-22 |                   144345 |                                 32934 |                        28906 |                            4946 |
|      3 | 2022-23 |                   177511 |                                 44626 |                        38096 |                            4818 |
|      4 | 2023-24 |                   170513 |                                 33808 |                        33854 |                            6377 |

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