On 13 July 2026, the Commissioner of Food Safety, Maharashtra, issued an order prohibiting the manufacture, storage, distribution, transport and sale of gutkha, pan masala, flavoured or scented tobacco, flavoured or scented areca nut (supari), chewing tobacco with additives, kharra, mawa and similar products throughout Maharashtra in the interest of public health.
Key Highlights:
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The order has been issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety under Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which empowers the Commissioner to prohibit specified food articles in the interest of public health for a period not exceeding one year.
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The notification relies upon Article 21 and Article 47 of the Constitution, which recognise the right to health and impose a duty on the State to improve public health.
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The order reiterates that tobacco and areca nut products fall within the definition of ‘food’ under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
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The notification prohibits not only gutkha and pan masala, but also flavoured/scented tobacco, flavoured/scented areca nut (supari), manufactured chewing tobacco containing additives, kharra, mawa and similar products containing tobacco and/or areca nut.
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The Government stated that flavouring and scenting agents significantly increase the appeal and addictive nature of tobacco and areca nut products, particularly among children and young persons.
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The present order succeeds the previous notification issued on 16 July 2025 and continues Maharashtra’s long-standing ban on gutkha, pan masala and similar products.
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The notification cites extensive scientific and medical literature linking gutkha, pan masala, chewing tobacco and areca nut consumption with oral submucous fibrosis, oral cancer, oesophageal cancer, stomach cancer, reproductive health issues and other serious diseases.
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Studies and reports relied upon by the Government include those of Tata Memorial Hospital, Government Dental College Nagpur, WHO, IARC and the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare to justify the prohibition.
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According to records cited in the notification, 31% of cancer patients treated at the Rashtrasant Tukdoji Regional Cancer Institute, Nagpur during 2020-22 were oral-cancer patients.
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The notification notes that Tata Memorial Hospital recorded 16,916 tobacco-related cancer cases in 2015, accounting for 56.19% of all cancer patients treated during that year.
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The Government also relied on WHO-linked studies showing strong public support for gutkha bans and reduction in product availability and consumption following such prohibitions.
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The notification notes that studies have found gutkha bans to be particularly beneficial in reducing the availability of such products near schools and limiting youth access to addictive tobacco products.
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The order highlights the substantial economic burden of tobacco-related diseases, citing estimates that tobacco use imposed costs of ₹1.04 lakh crore nationally in 2011.
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For Maharashtra alone, the notification refers to estimates placing the economic cost of tobacco-related diseases at ₹2,290 crore in 2011 for persons aged 35-69 years.
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The notification records that between 2012 and 2026, prohibited food articles worth approximately ₹530.98 crore were seized, 9,992 FIRs were registered and 10,254 cases were filed in courts.
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The notification records that prohibited products continued to be transported and marketed clandestinely through shops, warehouses, distributors and transport vehicles despite the existing ban, necessitating continued enforcement action.
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The State has also taken action against vehicles used for transportation of prohibited products, with proceedings initiated against 2,273 vehicles till March 2026.
The notification states that tobacco and nicotine cannot be used as ingredients in food products under Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
[Order by Commissioner of Food Safety, Maharashtra, 13-7-2026]
