User:Betelnuts

= Pan Masala = Pan Masala, an Indian name for a type of mouth freshener, refers to betel nut/ supari (Pan) and aromatic spices (Masala) like lime, catechu, cardamom, clove and mint as well as other flavouring agents and natural fragrant materials mixed together.

History
Pan Masala’s origins go back more than 2,500 years to the areca nut – much before the common consumption of tobacco. The areca nut was used in India and other nations in the East as a healthy chewable and a social courtesy when welcoming guests, with the nut being offered along with betel leaf. Since this was part of the traditional Hindu welcome, declining it was considered improper. The custom of eating Pan (or ‘Paan’) was more prevalent in North India. In some religious traditions, raw areca nut and betel leaf were given as offerings to deities.

Furthermore, chewing natural breath fresheners such as areca nuts after meals was an ancient custom in India. Also, the betel leaf has long been renowned as a herb with multiple beneficial properties. That’s how the Pan (betel leaf with areca nut and other mouth-freshening spices) originated. Today, Pan Masala can be rightly considered a derivative of the ancient Pan. India is now renowned as the world’s largest producer and consumer of areca or betel nuts. The betel nut’s history spans millennia in South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Basin. In some Pacific islands, its use goes back almost 2,000 years. Passed down across generations, chewing betel nut is considered a time-tested tradition among 20% of the global population.

As a mouth freshener, Pan Masala consumption is favored after meals to remove food odour or by people afflicted with bad breath and smokers seeking to mask their habit and whereas some people use it as a recreational purposes as it speeds up the central nervous system (CNS) thereby giving a feeling of well-being. Some premium Pan Masala mouth fresheners are made of silver-coated flavoured cardamom (elaichi). One of the most common spices used regularly in Indian households, besides health benefits, elaichi offers longer-lasting mouth freshness. This makes it popular among smokers wishing to freshen their breath with elaichi or Pan Masala after smoking. Although traditionally enjoyed in rural regions, Pan Masala is increasingly finding favour in urban areas too. An estimated 600 million consume arecanut in some form worldwide.

Arecanut
Arecanut is an important commercial crop in India and finds a place in all religious, social and cultural functions in India. Cultivation of Arecanut is mostly confined to States of Karnataka, Kerala and Assam,but the consumption is spread all over the country. India is considered as the largest Arecanut producing country in the world.

Arecanut requires abundant and well distributed rainfall. It grows well within the temperature range of 14-36 °C. It can be cultivated in a well drained soils with low water table, laterite, red loam and alluvial soils are most suited for growing arecanut.

The total acreage under cultivation is 2,64,000 hectares and the annual production estimated at 3,13,000 metric tones,with Karnataka and Kerala accounting for nearly 72 percent of total production. Over six million people are engaged in arecanut cultivation, processing and trade.More than 85 percent of the area under cultivation is made up of small and marginal holdings.

The main constituents of arecanut are polyphenols, fat polysaccharides, fibre and protein, besides these, the nuts contain alkaloids viz. arecoline (0.1- 0.7%) and others in trace amounts such as arecadine, guvacoline and guvacine. Tannins, a by-product from the processing of immature nuts find use in dyeing clothes, tanning leather, as a food colour, as mordant in producing variety of shades with metallic salts etc. The nuts contain 8-12% of fat, which can be extracted and used for confectionery purposes. The refined fat is harder than cocoa butter and can be used for blending.

The medicinal properties were described by Vagbhata (in 4th Century AD) as effective against leucoderma, leprosy, cough, fits, worms anemia, obesity. Recent studies have shown that arecanut has pharmacological uses viz. Hypoglycemic effect, mitotic activity, antihelminthic activity, cholinomimetic activity etc. However, several studies have also implicated arecanut to cause carcinogenesis.

Further, arecanut also shows medicinal value in the following lines however these values are yet to be exploited for commercial use:


 * In the metabolic system as a digestive and carminative
 * Anti-diabetic (Research from Hyderabad Medical College )
 * Used against certain skin diseases
 * Used as aphrodisiac
 * Improves eyesight when used as Thamboola seva
 * Helps in relieving asthma
 * CFTRI Mysore has developed a soft drink concentrate called Pan Supari Nectar
 * For Low Blood Pressure (Old Arecanut)

Arecanut husk finds use in preparations of hard boards, paperboards, cushions and non-woven fabrics besides being a good source of furfural. The arecanut leaf sheath could be used for preparation of throwaway cups, plates, plyboards, tea chest, packing cases and suitcases.

Pan Masala Industry
The Pan Masala industry is a booming business. According to IMARC (Noida), the market touched Rs 35,521 crore in 2017, after a 13% CARG between 2010 and 2017. This is expected to expand to Rs 60,198 crore by 2022. This market is driven by higher disposable incomes of both urban and rural households and switching of health-conscious consumer preferences from using tobacco products to Pan Masala. High advertisement budgets by manufacturers – that often feature top personalities from Bollywood -- are also a big factor driving the Pan Masala business.

Pan Masala exports are a significant revenue generator for the exchequer, with one-third of the total exports going to the UAE. The remainder goes to the US, Afghanistan, South Africa, Singapore, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia. Naturally, India is ranked the world’s largest Pan Masala exporter. Some major organised companies include the DS Group, Godfrey Philips India, Kothari Products and Manikchand. However, there are hundreds of companies who also make Pan Masala all over the country in small-scale, unorganised sector that operate outside the ambit of government regulation.

Pan Masala manufacturers can exert pressure to revise the minimum import prices to discourage cheaper imports. It is only when domestic areca nut prices are remunerative, farmers can expand cultivate cultivation so that adequate areca nut is available to sustain an industry that is growing at 13% CARG that is must faster than the economy as whole. Industry can also help farmers to follow the best agronomic practices that ensure the best quality of areca nut supply, especially in southern  states like Karnataka that account for 60% of production, that is available all year around. Considering a growing health conscious population, the industry mist procure and utilise quality ingredients that go into Pan Masala. Like caffeine, betel nut is amongst world’s most popular psychoactive substances, with many people enjoying the energy boost it provides. This is attributed to the betel nut’s natural alkaloids that release adrenaline, which can result in euphoria and a feeling of wellbeing. Going by some ancient beliefs, the nut is credited with relieving an array of ailments, while possessing wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties too.

Since it hasn’t been well tested via clinical trials, no empirical evidence exists supporting the above-mentioned health benefits. Additional research is crucial for confirming these benefits of the betel nut. Besides area nut, other Pan Masala ingredients are mixed in standardised measures for maintaining a proper balance of various spices catering to specific tastes. Pan Masala made by organised manufacturers contains natural materials only and is, therefore, relatively healthier and safer. This can be indicated by proper labeling and self-certification and educative advertisement campaigns.

Product Category Challenges
Pan Masala does not contain tobacco even though, unfortunately it is confused with banned gutka that contains tobacco; both terms willy-nilly being used interchangeably and synonymous – albeit wrongly. Pan Masala is a legal food product, standardized under Food Safety and Standards Authority Act under regulation 2.11.5 and is allowed to be sold freely, where as Gutka’s manufacture and sale is banned all over the country.

The biggest challenge facing the Pan Masala industry is its undesired association with tobacco-based chewable products. Most ingredients in Pan Masala and tobacco-based chewables may be common. Remove the tobacco and it becomes tobacco-free Pan Masala. Given the striking similarity in the look, feel, packaging and consumption of both products, most people wrongly treat them as synonymous. Unfortunately, this misconception also extends to the revenue collection machinery. In consequence, Pan Masala attracts a sin tax despite being a food substance covered under the FSSAI.

Because of the confusion between tobacco-based items and tobacco-free Pan Masala, the product and industry’s image has taken a beating. There have also been raids all over Tamil Nadu in connection with a Gutka scam and the involvement of top officials for being involved in the illegal sale of this banned tobacco-based chewable. The danger is that the entire Pan Masala industry is being tarnished with the same brush although it can be legally sold.

Due to the confusion between tobacco-based items and tobacco-free Pan Masala, the negative connotations have led to a higher taxes being imposed on the latter under the nationwide Goods and Services Tax that kicked in from July 1, 2017. Whereas the earlier excise duty on Pan Masala was around (18%+25%), the CGST is now 28% plus 60% cess compensation levy – to be given to the states to make up for possible losses in their tax revenues. This works out to much higher rates than the previous tax regime. Pan Masala thus is being taxed at a far higher rate than many other food products.

As a result, a Pan Masala packet priced at Rs 10 actually ends up costing consumers Rs 18.80. In other words, the price almost doubles. Since many Pan Masala consumers are rural people, the impact falls heavily on their pocket. This will adversely affect industry growth and its potential as a revenue generator for the government. The adverse impact is felt on farmer incomes, especially those who are engaged in areca nut cultivation. There are also effects on employment growth in both organised and unorganized sectors that manufacture Pan Masala in the country.

Health Impact
Pan Masala a mixture of areca nut with slaked lime, catechu and other flavoring agents have health impact if eaten in excess. Of the several ingredients, arecanut is proven carcinogenic. Excessive consumption can be a leading cause of oral submucous fibrosis that often progresses to oral cancer.