Panaji (Goa):  The Goa government on Thursday passed an order prohibiting manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of food products containing tobacco or nicotine like gutkha and pan masala in the state for one year.

The ban also applies on processed, flavoured, scented, chewing tobacco, whether they are packaged or unpackaged or sold as one or separate products.

The notification has been issued under Food Safety and Standards Act (prohibition and restrictions on sales) Regulations 2011 and Act 2006.

“In the interest of public health, the government prohibits manufacture, storage, sale or distribution of Gutkha and pan masala, by whatever name it is called, which contains tobacco or nicotine as an ingredient,” Commissioner of Food Safety, B R Singh said.  “The ban has been imposed for a period of one year,” he added.

The decision comes two months after Supreme Court order, wherein it observed that to bypass ban on the sale of gutkha, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets.

Team TNV