Maalai Malar

Hygiene Rating: Food Outlets

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From dhabas to 5-star hotels, FSSAI will give a rating based on hygiene
We all eat from different food and beverage joints. It can be from well-reputed restaurants or cafes or at times local street vendors. It doesn’t matter who we are, we all have been worried about the hygiene and after effects of the food we consume. Most of us usually need some sort of digestion related medicine when we load up on street food. Even after dining at the most fancy  restaurants, many do get food poisoning or other stomach issues.
Although when we are hungry, we eat any kind of food that we see, but the question of how healthy and clean the food is always nags us no matter what.
But what to do, there is no provision to fix this constant worry, right?
But no more, from now on the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will rate these places for us. It has been announced that the FSSAI is working on new norms on hygiene and cleanliness criteria for food joints all over the country. Minimum standards will determine the rating of even the smallest of dhabas in your colonies.
Every single branch of chains of restaurants will be rated separately instead of rating the entire chain as one. This is to keep a count on the eating joints in every state. Even the street vendors will not be let off easy; they will be required to follow regulations and norms as well.
A month back, the FSSAI also announced that all the food outlets are to register with the state authorities. The plan is to first cover the shops at the metro stations and then the entire city and town. The deadline for registration is February, 2014. Those who fail to meet the deadline will be penalized.
The norms will be laid down not only for the hygiene of food served, but also the storage of the supplies and the delivery or transport facilities of the outlets.
The officials had certain goals in mind when they made this decision. (As told to TOI)
“Our criteria will be to come up with standards to grade food outlets. They could be graded as stars or as levels. The focus will be to see that they maintain food hygiene and safety so that consumers can make a wiser choice.
Naturally, the end cost to the consumer will go up as these outlets will need more investments into maintaining cleanliness. But the amount passed on will be very small. The main challenge is to train people in the sector to take these steps.
In places outside India, they have a holistic process of ensuring food safety. That will be our ultimate aim. We will have to come up with norms which will ensure a win-win situation for both the consumers and the eateries.”
The sources say that although these steps may be easy for popular and large food outlets, it may be a troublesome task for the ones with comparatively lesser resources. Street vendors and small shop owners may not have enough facilities to meet the standards laid down. This may lead to a hike in the prices of the food. This will be a small price to pay for a guarantee of healthy food.
Not only will these eateries be rated, they will be asked to display the certificate at all times. This will help the consumers in knowing what places they should avoid and save their health. Volunteers will be asked to train managers and vendors to meet the standards.
The FSSAI has a website that provides all the information one may need regarding food and the safety measures taken. And this is their main function (as mentioned on http://www.fssai.gov.in)
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as a statutory body for laying down science based standards for articles of food and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food so as to ensure safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
With the season changing, communicable, water-borne, vector-based, and other diseases will be a common occurrence. Food and beverages are one of the main carriers of such diseases if not properly maintained. Insects, adulteration, carelessness, and other problems may also occur in the food you eat outdoors.
In such conditions, we need such health certificates and hygiene alerts that may stop us from making wrong decisions. Our bodies have to suffer due to someone else’s negligence. FSSAI has taken a step to change this icky tradition.
Now our main worry should be how soon these new regulations will be implemented and save us from the gastronomical catastrophes.

Prominent food outlets sealed in Sayajigunj

VADODARA: Vadodra Municipal Corporation (VMC) sealed two prominent food joints in the Sayajigung area of the city. The joints were sealed as they had not obtained health licences from the civic body.

The two restaurants include an outlet belonging to a chain having presence in the state and an outlet of a multinational giant. VMC officials said the step was taken as they had not obtained licences for the outlets under the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act.

VMC in charge assistant municipal commissioner Narendra Vasava said besides these two restaurants, an ice cream outlet and a fast food joint had been issued notices. These outlets operate from premises that were earmarked for parking. What is surprising though is that the outlets that were given notices have been operating from shops that have been used for several years now. So far, VMC had not bothered to take any action against them. The permission for construction granted to the complex where the shops are located had been cancelled way back in 1993.

Suits have subsequently been filed regarding the issue. Officials said the present action was taken after complaints were received over the state of affairs.

Former deputy mayor and ruling BJP councillor Shailesh Mehta and former opposition leader and former Congress councillor Chirag Zaveri, too, raised the issue in the general board meeting on Monday. Mehta said the issue needed to be examined as the Food Safety Act was now in place while the notices were issued under the GPMC Act.

"Why is an old provision being used when a new one is in place? And does VMC have powers to seal eateries under the new act? The issue needs to be examined," Mehta said.

Shun those unhygienic food sold on roadside

MYSORE: Many roadside fruits sellers try to make hay while the sun shines, more so if it is summer. Though fruits are ideal for consumption during summer, eating cut-fruits sold under unhygienic conditions means inviting trouble.

Vendors selling cut-fruits, ice-creams and fruit juices near court, schools and colleges, the DC's office and other public places is a common sight. Unmindful of the health complications that these eatables and juices bring in, many people consume them.

Speaking to TOI, health officer Dr Nagaraj D G said that they have issued circulars to all health inspectors to keep a check on the sale of unhygienic food items. "Those not following the rules can be fined. Offenders can also be booked under Food Safety Act," the officer said.

Mysore City Corporation had organized a workshop for street vendors a month ago. At the workshop, the vendors were educated about the extra care that they need to take during summer.

Physician Dr Vaibhavi P S said: "Eating uncovered and unhygienic food sold on roadsides can lead to typhoid, cholera and gastroenteritis. Anyone -- be it grown-ups or children -- can be affected by feeding on cut-fruits kept in the open."

"There is a need to take extra care when it comes to children. They, being young, can't express their fatigue and dehydration. So parents have to supplement them with more fruits and fluids," Dr Vaibhavi added.

Doctors recommend people to avoid eatables sold on roadside. According to them, water and food served outside are not hygienic, and can lead to food poisoning, infections and other serious ailments. "It's not only food, but also the place and the person serving the food need to maintain hygiene," they say.

J Rajeshwari of the department of food and nutrition in Maharani's Science College said: "Intake of more fluid is recommended during summer as hydration level dips. Eating spicy and fried food and junk must be avoided. Consuming light food and greens is good for health," she added.

CSE responds - THE HINDU

The Centre for Science and Environment on Monday reacted sharply to an advertisement in which, it claimed, Mumbai-based Centre for Environment and Agrochemicals has made several scurrilous and baseless insinuations and statements against it and its director-general Sunita Narain.

Responding to the latest “attack”, the CSE noted that it has “remained steadfast in its opposition to rampant and unregulated use of deadly pesticides in the country, which has earned it the ire of the industry and its allied bodies. We have been regularly targeted, threatened and attacked by the pesticide lobby. Accusations of a personal and vile nature have been hurled at me, but we have not retreated”.

As for the allegations in the advertisements, it said: “Responding to an advertisement like this is way beneath our dignity, but our campaign against pesticides is far too important for us – which is why we would like to put our point of view across.”

“The pesticide manufacturing industry and its front organisations are back at their old game – of trying to smother anyone who would have the temerity to say anything against pesticides,’’ said the CSE.

It also charged that “the Centre for Environment and Agrochemicals, which claims to be a non-profit organisation working for farmers, has known links to the pesticide industry. Its chairperson is Rajju Shroff, who heads United Phosphorus Ltd, the largest manufacturer of pesticides in India. Shroff and the organisations he is associated with have been at the forefront to muzzle independent research and science in the country”.

On the timing of the allegations levelled against it, the CSE said: “It is interesting to note here that CSE has recently written to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the Union Ministry of Agriculture bringing to their notice the fact that despite the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Pesticides (which was set up after a CSE study exposed the presence of pesticide residues in soft drinks), procedures on pesticides continue to be compromised on health.’’

In a review carried out by it, the CSE said it was also revealed that the JPC’s recommendations on laws and procedures are being completely ignored. Therefore, Ms. Narain said, the advertisement was “another tool in the method adapted by this industry to deal with dissent – file cases in courts, do whatever it requires to muzzle independent science”.

Stating that the advertisement addresses sitting judges of the High Court and uses their photographs to draw attention, the CSE said it also “makes wild allegations – though not new or novel. The same organisation that has published this advertisement has been virulent in its attack against CSE and has used every means possible to defame and hurt our reputation. We believe that this is another variation of what is called ‘SLAPP’ in the US – ‘strategic lawsuits against public participation’.’’

“The matter in the High Court is clearly important, and has high stakes for the industry. This is why it is resorting to such tricks. But clearly the issue also has high stakes for all of us – our health is on the line here,” it contended.

FDA doesn’t know its limits

Officials confused over jurisdiction and where they can take action, while gutkha sellers make merry

Gutkha is freely sold at Babajan Chowk which is under PCB jurisdiction The newly-implemented Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011 has thrown Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials into confusion when it comes to their jurisdiction and where they can take action. According to new rules, airports, seaports, defence areas and railways fall under the Central licensing body, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSA). FDA officials are uncertain as to whether they can issue or cancel food vendors licences in these areas and also, if they can take action on the sale of banned products such as gutkha. Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, said, “We are not supposed to take any action or issue licenses to any vendor in the cantonments, railways and airports. Taking advantage of the situation, most of the gutkha sellers in the city have their godowns in these areas. Recently, we have conducted raids in Camp which comes under the Pune Cantonment Board and seized gutkha worth lakhs of rupees. If they challenge us in court, we are in trouble.” Ordinarily, Cantonment areas and railways have their own officials to conduct checks and crack down on any illicit activities, but in recent times, these posts have n’t been filled. S S Desai, FDA assistant commissioner (food), said, “Earlier, cantonment areas had respective designated assistant commissioners (food) but that seems to have stopped. We used to get a slip signed from them before taking any action against any vendor or restaurant but now that is not possible. We have sent a number of requisitions to the FSSA, but to no avail. ” Khadki Cantonment Board (KCB) health superintendent Vilas Khandode said, “We don’t have food inspectors to conduct raids neither do we have laboratories to test the food samples. The board has a population of 70,000 and it is not logical to have a specialised lab and inspectors for such a small population. When FDA can collect money for licences, why can’t they check the food quality?” Arti Mahajan, vice president of Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) said that “It does not matter to us whether FDA operates in our area or not as we have our secondary food officers and health superintendent in place. Our food inspectors do conduct checks at food stalls and not only raw materials but also the end product.” On being questioned about the open sale of gutkha, she said, “In case it is being sold in the PCB area, strict action will be taken.” On the other hand, Y K Singh, railway spokesperson said, “We have the Railway Police Force and the commercial department has the authority to maintain the quality of food and take action if any banned product is being sold inside the railways premises, but even the FDA can take action or inform us in case they receive any information.” State FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade was optimistic,saying, “There are issues regarding the jurisdiction, but we have written to the central body and things will be sorted soon. Till then, our officers will take action against the guilty ." ►►►  According to new regulations, we can’t take action or issue licences to vendors in any of the cantonments, railways and airports -  Shashikant Kekare, Joint commissioner(food), FDA

Soon, all food outlets across the country to get hygiene rating

All food outlets, from small dhabas to five-star hotels , will be graded according to their level of food hygiene and cleanliness. 

 

NEW DELHI: At his dhaba in south Delhi's Kidwai Nagar, Irfan has his cooks wash their hands before preparing dishes. Sweets are kept covered , he claims. As with most small eateries, Irfan's dhaba is not registered. 

Soon, outlets such as Irfan's may have to start complying with more stringent standards, with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) working on new norms on hygiene and cleanliness at food outlets across the country.

All food outlets, from small dhabas to five-star hotels , will be graded according to their level of food hygiene and cleanliness.

This will mean that a dhaba in your neighbourhood could be rated as level-1 , if cooking practices measure up to the minimum standards laid down by the authority, while a fine dining restaurant may end up getting the top billing. It is also possible for restaurants belonging to the same chain to get different ratings.

FSSAI has also mandated all food outlets to register with their respective state authorities to keep a count of the number of eateries in every state. Besides food joints, the authority also plans to lay down basic norms of compliance for street vendors and hawkers, in collaboration with the housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry, to maintain food hygiene.

While the standards will be finalized over the next few months, the deadline for mandatory registration expires in February 2014. Failure to get a licence or get registration done will lead to a penalty. The plan is to initially focus on metros and gradually move to the smaller cities and towns.

"Our criteria will be to come up with standards to grade food outlets. They could be graded as stars or as levels. The focus will be to see that they maintain food hygiene and safety so that consumers can make a wiser choice," a source with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Apart from cleanliness at the place of cooking, the authority will also lay down guidelines for clean storage and transport facilities.

To ensure that consumers are aware of the hygiene practices being followed, outlets will also have to get, and display , a certificate issued by the authority displayed. Even as the large players have come out in support of the new norms, it is the small food businesses with limited resources that will pose trouble to ensure implementation, experts said.

"Naturally, the end cost to the consumer will go up as these outlets will need more investments into maintaining cleanliness. But the amount passed on will be very small. The main challenge is to train people in the sector to take these steps," an official said.

The authority, which is planning the standards in collaboration with the health and consumer affairs ministries , along with several other government and private institutions , plans to invite volunteers for training food outlet managers and street vendors.

"In places outside India, they have a holistic process of ensuring food safety. That will be our ultimate aim. We will have to come up with norms which will ensure a win-win situation for both the consumers and the eateries," the official said.

Australia transfers technology for genetically modified bananas to India

Recipe for slaying anaemia
    Australian scientists have genetically modified bananas to stack them with extra vitamins and iron. They are now sharing this technology with Indian scientists. What makes this development really significant is that India is the world’s largest producer of bananas by a mammoth margin and consumes most of these domestically. So it is elementary that if Indian bananas could be fortified with more nutrients, this would have a wholesome impact on the citizenry’s diet and counteract their penchant for malnutrition. The possibility of making bananas rich in iron is of special note as iron-deficiency is a grave problem among vegetarians and anaemia is also a major cause of maternal mortality.
    India’s Bt cotton triumphs helped the global GM narrative march forward but the government has tried to reign in this march at Bt brinjal, putting a moratorium on its commercial release after a decade’s worth of agronomic and biosecurity testing, not to mention unequivocal approval from the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee. While our decision-makers bury their heads in the sand, the US Food and Drug Administration has categorically declared that foods developed by bioengineering techniques do not entail greater safety concerns than those developed by traditional plant breeding. Ninety per cent of American
maize, soybean and canola is now GM. Brazil, which once used to be a net food importer, has engineered an impressive agricultural turnaround by pushing GM crops forward. Not only does China’s dining table boast GM papaya, tomato and bell peppers but GM poplar is now supplying it timber on a commercial scale!
    As food demand keeps rising, it will become increasingly hard to resist the embrace of high-yielding GM varieties. Anyway, why try to resist when no harm has been detected among Americans who have been chomping GM cornflakes and tortillas for around two decades now?
Don’t open this Pandora’s box Anil Thakkar
    For all the years that human civilisation has existed, bananas growing the natural way have been good enough for us – good enough, in fact, that they have gained a deserved reputation as being one of the
healthiest of fruits, full of vitamins. Doctors have recommended them, traditional wisdom has espoused their virtues. But now, all of that is apparently not good enough. If Indian researchers have their way, we will be eating genetically modified bananas in the not-too-distant future, grown with technology obtained from the Australians. And that is a pity.
    What exactly is the purpose of meddling with an already healthy fruit’s genetic make-up to boost the amount of vitamins and calcium? Is it so that instead of going to the effort of eating half-a-dozen bananas, a person can gain the same benefit from eating four or five of them? Is that sufficient reason to introduce dangerous variables into the natural order of things? The fact is that we simply don’t know enough about GM crops and how they will affect the environment – and us – in the long run. It runs counter to the most basic scientific principles to take their benefits for granted without gathering sufficient data.
    GM crops are like the proverbial Pandora’s box. Once you introduce them into the environment, there is no going back. Genetically modified organisms can spread and interbreed with natural organisms, contaminating future yields in entirely unpredictable ways. Further, in the developed world, perhaps precautions such as adequate labelling of GM foods, segregation of GM crops and seeds, and similar measures can be implemented to mitigate their risks for those who are unwilling to jump on the GM bandwagon. Does anyone really think that such regulations would be followed any more assiduously in India than any of the hundreds of others in all walks of life we ignore blithely? The safest way is to simply say no to GM.

Madhya Pradesh pepper traders move court against NCDEX

Mumbai, March 25:  

Kalimirch (black pepper) Vyapari Association, a Madhya Pradesh-based traders’ body, has filed a writ petition in Madhya Pradesh High Court against the National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange, National Securities Depository, Central Depository Service and Ministry of Consumer Affairs for defaulting on pepper delivery for contracts which expired on January 5.

The petition (a copy available with Business Line) was filed by a group of 30 members last Monday and was admitted for hearing on March 21. The hearing is posted for April 2.

Vijay Kumar, Chief Business Officer, NCDEX, said that the exchange had not received the petition copy so far and would be able decide on the future course of action only after going through the details.

The 30 members had bought 6,935 tonnes of pepper worth over Rs 300 crore on the exchange platform and were preparing to take delivery of the goods from the exchange-accredited warehouse in Kochi after the contract expired on January 5.

To their surprise they were informed by the warehouse that the Commissioner of Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) in Kerala had sealed the exchange-accredited warehouses on detection of adulterated pepper stocks in November.

Warehouses sealed

Six warehouses accredited by the NCDEX in Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts in Kerala were sealed on charges of having adulterated pepper stocks.

plea for compensation

The petitioners have asked the Court to direct NCDEX to deliver pepper according to the contract specifications and also compensate them for the price difference.

As an alternative, the exchange can pay the petitioners the value of the commodity along with VAT (value-added tax) and interest at 18 per cent a year, the members said.

The association members have also sought additional compensation towards warehouse charges.

The petitioners said their association has cautioned the NCDEX and the market regulator, Forward Markets Commission, on adulterated pepper being stored in the warehouses even before the FSSA took action.

The Mix Nixed

What will happen to gutkha manufacturers as state after state bans all forms of chewing tobacco?
Gaurakh Nath turns back to speak to us, unconcerned that he’s negotiating an autorickshaw through one of Delhi’s overcrowded roads. His jaws are working away at chewing and talking, and saliva dribbles from the side of his mouth as he rather incoherently explains why he’s not worried about the ban on gutkha in Delhi. He’s been getting through four or five pouches of pan masala and gutkha in a day for 15 years, and is determined his habit will continue, even though the Delhi government banned the sale, manufacture, display and storage of all gutkha products in September 2012. “I can always find some supply though I may have to pay more than the actual price,” he says.
Certainly, the ban on gutkha and other forms of chewing tobacco has been tougher to implement than the state governments anticipated. And this despite 18 states having imposed blanket bans since April 2012 (two of them, Odisha and Uttarakhand, kicked off 2013 with the ban). Despite its image as a cottage industry, gutkha is estimated as a Rs 15,000-20,000 crore business. The Smokeless Tobacco Association, which represents the gutkha and pan masala industry, claims some 40 million people will be directly and indirectly affected by the ban. That includes stakeholders across the packaging and commodities (arecanut, cardamom, etc.) sides to the business, and panwallahs, distributors and stockists, apart from those directly employed by gutkha makers.
Those are big numbers and the pain isn’t likely to lessen any time soon — the ban in Uttar Pradesh will start from April 1; other states such as Tamil Nadu and Assam are mulling over similar strictures; Maharashtra and Odisha have, meanwhile, extended the ban to cover even pan masala.

Why the ban?
In 2011, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a government watchdog, laid the foundations for the ban with a new rule: tobacco and nicotine cannot be used as ingredients in any food product. Based on the suggestion of a national consultation report, this rule was notified under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and it defines ‘food’ as anything that is partially processed and can be ingested by human beings. SN Mohanty, CEO, FSSAI, justifies: “Regulations include tobacco in the items sold as food because gutkha is partially ingested.” States can impose annually renewable bans under the regulations.
Why is gutkha such a big deal? GATS (the Global Adult Tobacco Survey) says 75% of Indian tobacco consumers (260 million of them) use non-smoking tobacco products such as gutkha, far outnumbering the more visible smokers. There is, of course, a significant and confusing vocabulary of similar products: pan masala is gutkha minus the tobacco; zarda and khaini pack in up to 90% tobacco (sun-dried, with lime); snuff is simply powdered tobacco sniffed up the nostril.

Gutkha is a Rs 15,000-20,000 crore industry. 40 million people will be affected by the ban, says the industry body

Gutkha, hugely popular as a mouth freshener and stimulant in the Indian subcontinent, is a dry concoction of crushed arecanut (supari), 7-8% tobacco, catechu (a dry, brown extract from the acacia tree), paraffin, slaked lime, and sweet or savoury flavourings, but that’s not the least of it — gutkha is also said to contain 3,095 chemicals, including 28 carcinogenic substances. An Edelweiss sector update says India has the highest global prevalence of oral cancer and 75,000-80,000 new cases are reported every year. Tobacco-related illnesses eat up approximately Rs 30,000 crore in both public and private health services — that’s a full fourth of the country’s entire health spending. Oddly enough, the government hasn’t directly cited public health reasons for the gutkha ban. The industry’s response to the ban is equally mixed up and, er, murky. Fight or flee
The gutkha industry is highly fragmented. Dozens of regional players (like Shikhar and Dilbagh in Delhi) dominate the Rs 1-2 per sachet segment. The national market has only a few big names like Manikchand (the MD or RMD brand) and Pan Parag’s gutkha variant, which are strong in the Rs 7-10 per sachet segment. Kanpur and Delhi in the north, and Ahmedabad, Vadodra, Goa and Pune in the west, are major manufacturing clusters.
Quite in line with the fragmented nature of the industry, it was a contradictory chorus that arose when the ban took effect — some say it will be the death knell, others are blasé and hold the view that this ban, like the other attempts before it, won’t change anything. “50% of the industry and its markets have already vanished with ban in 14 states,” despairs Sanjay Dechan, executive director of the Smokeless Tobacco Association (STA). “After April 1, 80% will have vanished.” Notably, that’s when UP joins the ban.

“The entire banning exercise is aimed at gifting one company the entire market"Sanjay Dechan, Executive director, Smokeless Tobacco Federation

The makers of the Delhi-based Dilbagh, a local brand, are also pessimistic. “It is pointless to talk to media and state our position,” says Satyam Bihani, director, Som Fragrances, owner of the brand that comes in third, after Manikchand and DS. “The government doesn’t hear. Nothing will change.” Already, the pain is obvious. Pan Bahar’s Sharad Jain admits, “I have laid off 20-30 workers after the ban.” Still others are literally fleeing. Partners of Trimurti Fragrances’ Shikhar gutkha have relocated to Mumbai from Delhi. Sarvesh Aggarwal, who was still listed as a board member in the Shikhar Group’s website at the time of writing, is cagey about their future plans, “We have already shifted to Mumbai for good and we will be trying something else here.” Not everybody has taken such drastic steps, or not yet anyway. Delhi-based units have moved their facilities to Noida and Kanpur. But that reprieve will last only for a couple of months more.
Ankur Kumar, proprietor of the Delhi-based Sara Tobacco, who claims to have advised several tobacco entrepreneurs in setting up their businesses, does not believe this is a do-or-die situation. “Gutkha makers have amassed untold wealth over decades — many of them own malls and other businesses already. It [the ban] should not be a survival issue for them.”
Then there’s Dharampal Satyapal (DS) Group, the biggest player with its Rajnigandha brand, which is challenging the government in various courts. Despite repeated requests, the company declined to comment for this story but local vendors point out its ingenious way of ensuring sales continue. The DS Group sells Rajnigandha Pan Masala paired with sachets of Tulsi Tobacco — pop both into the mouth and, voila, there’s ‘legal’ gutkha. Of course, it’s not the only company offering this completely legal way of circumventing the ban — many other former gutkha brands are now available as two separate pouches of pan masala and chewing tobacco.
New Avenues
Interestingly, many big names in gutkha, like Pan Bahar, originated in Kanpur before moving to Delhi. Such mobility is possible because gutkha manufacturing is a simple process — all it needs is 8-10 small machines and 15-20 workers. HK Paliwal, who does packaging for gutkha makers in Kanpur, nods at the re-reversal, “Yes, many Delhi-based makers have either activated their old set-up here, or are using other people’s platform to produce gutkha.” Paliwal, though, is already casting about for other business. “The same machines can be used for packaging small biscuits and daal-bhujiya packets,” says the canny businessman.
Meanwhile, fragrance makers, like the Kanpur-based Bluebell Fragrances’ owner Jatin Gupta, are also worried. More than 250 fragrance makers like him from Kanpur and Kannauj (a small town 80 km away) will lose 90% of their market from April. Gupta laments, “Everybody is considering supplying soap and agarbatti fragrances but it won’t be as big as gutkha for us.”

“Why has zarda been spared and gutkha banned when zarda is far more hazardous with almost 90% tobacco?"Bhiku Patel, President, Tobacco Merchants Association

Meanwhile, the mere mention of cigarettes causes heartburn to gutkha makers, whose lobby issued big advertisements in dailies, calling the ban unjustified, pointing out that cigarettes contain more tobacco than gutkha. “The entire banning exercise is aimed at gifting one company the entire market,” lashes out Dechan, referring to ITC, which controls 85% of the cigarettes industry in India. The gutkha lobby cites the rise in ITC’s stock prices over the past six months and analyst reports on the company recommend that investors buy the stock. But is this a perfect zero-sum game as the lobby makes it out to be? No, say analysts. “The low-end cigarette brands might benefit but it doesn’t start immediately,” says Abneesh Rai, analyst, Edelweiss Securities. “ITC’s growth has been flattish in the last two quarters. Cigarettes will gain slightly after some years.” He feels there is still a big price gap between gutkha and cigarettes, and also that cigarettes are a far more visible and taboo product. “Women and children who eat ‘gutkha’ may not switch to cigarettes,” says Rai.
Dechan does not hesitate to blame officials in the health ministry and the FSSAI, who he says serve the cigarette lobby’s interests. “They keep sending advisories to state governments on banning gutkha, and threaten them by denying funds under the NHRM [the National Rural Health Mission, a central scheme implemented by the states] if they fail to implement the ban,” says a frustrated Dechan.

In Ahmedabad, Bhikubhai Patel has a different question. “Why has zarda been spared and gutkha banned when zarda is far more hazardous with almost 90% tobacco?” asks the president of the Gujarat Tobacco Merchants Association. Patel feels Gujarat farmers, who supply approximately 90% of the tobacco used in products like gutkha, khaini and zarda, won’t take such a big hit now because gutkha is only a small part of the tobacco market. But far-sighted farmers in Anand, Baroda and Khera aren’t taking any changes — they are already shifting to alternative crops like banana.
Meanwhile, gutkha makers seem to be counting on the separate sachets strategy to work. “If some one has a sweet tooth, he has it for life,” says an official from a big gutkha brand, who does not wish to be named. Anand Bathija, proprietor of Trident Exports, makers of the Kuber brand of gutkha and khaini, is not so sure: “Erstwhile gutkha makers will have to work really hard to make this mix-two-sachets route works as handsomely as single-sachet gutkha.”
How’s the ban working? Says Sunil Singh, state nodal officer of the National Tobacco Control Programme in Rajasthan, “So far, we have conducted inspections at 31,000 places after the ban and destroyed 8 million gutkha sachets. Trucks that were smuggling in the product have been seized. We have also started a toll-free helpline for people who want to quit the tobacco habit.”
Other states offer similar positive news. Says Ashish Singhmar, deputy commissioner of Hamirpur district in Himachal Pradesh, “Open sale has been checked since the ban. The police and food and health safety departments have been checking and conducting raids regularly.”
But dig deeper and check with petty officials across most states, and a different picture emerges. The police in all states is already overburdened and elections are around the corner — nabbing gutkha sellers and stopping manufacture is hardly a priority.
STA’s Dechan feels the ban will drive the gutkha industry underground. He is already almost right. Bhini Prasad, owner of a cramped corner store in Karol Bagh, does not display the gutkha he sells, but fishes it out surreptitiously from a rack hidden away inside. “It comes from UP,” he says sotto voce. “We sell to our special customers at a Rs 2 premium.”