INDORE: Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) has submitted its reply before high court in a petition seeking printing of nicotine and tar content on cigarette packets, denying any regulation over smoking tobacco products or cigarettes.
FSSAI submitted that they could only regulate food items and were taking steps towards exercising the ban on use of nicotine and tar in food products, including pan masala and gutka. FSSAI also submitted that while their primary duties lie in implementation of Food Safety and Security Act 2006, they could seize samples of cigarettes along with the state government under Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003.
“It had also been submitted by FSSAI earlier that a proposal is pending before the Centre for setting up a laboratory to test nicotine and tar content of cigarettes. The proposed laboratory will be the first in India and is likely to be set up in Gurgaon, Delhi,” advocate Shweta Mewada, counsel for petitioner said. PIL filed by Harsh Jhunjhunwala had alleged that tobacco companies were selling poor quality cigarettes in the market and that they were not mentioning the quantity of tar and nicotine on cigarette packets. `
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