Karnataka bans Gutkha, Tobacco-laced pan masala for one year

Bengaluru, August 12

The Karnataka government has imposed a statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of gutkha, pan masala and other food products containing tobacco or nicotine for one year.

The prohibition applies to all districts and covers products sold in both packaged and unpackaged forms. It also includes tobacco and nicotine products marketed under different names or supplied separately in a manner that allows consumers to mix them easily before consumption.

The Commissioner of Food Safety, Karnataka, issued the notification on June 15, 2026, invoking Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The order was also issued in accordance with Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.

Under the notification, gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine cannot be manufactured, stored, transported, distributed or sold anywhere in Karnataka during the prohibition period. The restriction applies regardless of the brand name, description or form in which such products are marketed.

The ban also covers products packed in sachets, pouches, packets, containers or other forms. Items in which pan masala and tobacco are packaged separately but sold together, or distributed in a way that facilitates mixing by consumers, will also come under the prohibition.

Officials said the broad wording of the notification was intended to prevent manufacturers and sellers from circumventing the ban by changing product names, packaging methods or sales practices.

The Food Safety Commissioner said the measure had been introduced in the interest of public health, given the serious health risks associated with tobacco and nicotine consumption.

The order will remain in force throughout Karnataka for one year from June 15. Food safety authorities and other enforcement agencies are expected to monitor compliance and initiate action against manufacturers, distributors, transporters and retailers found violating the prohibition.