Karnataka enforces statewide one-year ban on tobacco and nicotine gutkha and pan masala, while the Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) introduce new packaging rules prohibiting plastic and foil packaging for pan masala.
Food safety and standards authority of India (FSSAI) have recently issued the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, which officially bans the use of plastic sachets, laminates, and metallic foils for packaging of pan masala. This amendment forces a transition to more eco-friendly alternatives like paper, cellulose, tin, or glass to align with environmental regulations. (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026
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This amendment has recently brought into effect right after a strict statewide prohibition by the Karnataka government under Section Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, read with Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
The regulation prohibits the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution, and sale of any gutkha or pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine anywhere in the state, for a period of one year.
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Karnataka Enforces One Year Ban Masala Ban
On 10 August 2026, Karnataka’s Food Safety and Drug Administration Department invoked Section 30(2)(a) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, read with Regulation 2.3.4 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, to prohibit statewide, yearlong ban on manufacture, storage, transport, distribution, and sale of any gutkha or pan masala containing tobacco or nicotine.
Several states like Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and many more had imposed a ban like a decade ago on production and sale of gutka and pan masala-containing tobacco and nicotine. Despite the ban, the sell continued across the states. In the recent amendment, the authorities have banned separate “twin-packs” distributed which let the consumers manually mix tobacco with plain blends, which was a long-standing retail loophole used to sale products despite the ban. (2✔ ✔Trusted Source
Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration Department notification banning tobacco/nicotine gutkha and pan masala
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Scope of the Karnataka Pan Masala Ban 2026
Karnataka’s order, issued by the Office of the Commissioner of Food Safety, Bengaluru, doesn’t just target packaged gutkha sachets sold under a brand name — the notification explicitly covers products that contain tobacco or nicotine in the final consumable form, regardless of how they’re packaged, sold, or marketed. That includes pan masala and betel-nut mixtures sold as two separate components meant to be combined by the buyer; a loophole manufacturer has historically used sidestep tobacco-product restrictions.
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Is tobacco-free pan masala banned in Karnataka?
No — Tobacco-free pan masala is not banned. The prohibition is specifically aimed at products containing tobacco or nicotine as an ingredient. Pan masala without either substance isn’t covered by this particular order, though it does fall under FSSAI’s separate national packaging rule discussed earlier.
Enforcement is already underway, with food safety officers across the state running dedicated inspection drives targeting manufacturing units, storage facilities, and retail points. The department has also asked the public to report any sighting of these products being made, stored, or sold.
Penalty for selling gutkha in Karnataka in 2026
Violations of a Section 30(2)(a) prohibition order are prosecutable under the Food Safety and Standards Act and can attract fines and imprisonment depending on the offence.
Manufacturing, storing, distributing, or selling banned tobacco-nicotine gutkha or pan masala during the prohibition period is an offence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, carrying fines and potential imprisonment, along with immediate risk of license suspension for the food business involved.
Food business operators caught manufacturing, storing, or distributing banned products risk license cancellation on top of statutory penalties. This isn’t Karnataka’s first such ban order either; the state has renewed similar one-year tobacco-pan-masala bans periodically since a 2016 Supreme Court direction pushed all states to act against gutkha.
New FSSAI Packaging Rules for Pan Masala
The Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026, notified on 7 August 2026, FSSAI has added a new entry — Schedule IV, Serial Number 11 — specifically for pan masala packaging.
Banned Packaging Materials:
- Polyethylene
- Polypropylene
- Polyester
- PVC
- Synthetic polymer
- Copolymer
- Laminate
- Aluminum foil
- Metallized layers
Permitted Packaging Material:
- Paper
- Paperboard
- Cellulose
- Tin
- Glass containers
Other naturally derived materials can be used— provided these are free of any plastic and metal components.
The rule also folds in obligations under the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, specifically the clauses dealing with non-recyclable, multi-layered plastic packaging. The regulation takes effect from the date of its Gazette publication, giving manufacturers a narrow runway to redesign packaging lines that have relied on plastic-foil laminates for decades. (1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026
)
The Bottom Line
Between Karnataka’s renewed ban, FSSAI’s plastic-free packaging mandate, India’s food safety regulators are tightening enforcement on multiple fronts at once — from what pan masala is made of, to how it’s wrapped and sold.
References:
- Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations, 2026 – (https://fssai.gov.in/docs/food-law/notice-comment/Final%20Food%20Safety%20and%20Standards%20(Packaging)%20Amendment%20Regulations,%202026.pdf?csrt=9797927313171808040)
- Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration Department notification banning tobacco/nicotine gutkha and pan masala – (https://karnataka.gov.in/karnataka_hub/Publications/en)
Source-Medindia