Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and/or nicotine across the state, citing public health concerns. The restriction was issued through a notification dated June 15, 2026, by the Commissioner of Food Safety, Karnataka State.

The order applies to tobacco and nicotine-containing products regardless of the name under which they are marketed. It covers products sold in sachets, pouches, packages or containers, as well as products sold in other forms.

Ban issued under Food Safety Act

The notification has been issued under clause (a) of sub-section (2) of Section 30 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.

Under the order, the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and/or nicotine are prohibited in Karnataka for a period of one year.

The notification has been issued by the Commissioner of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Bengaluru.

The move is aimed at restricting the availability of tobacco and nicotine-containing products that are commonly consumed in forms such as gutkha and pan masala.

Products covered by the order

The restriction is not limited only to products sold under the names ‘gutkha’ or ‘pan masala’.

According to the notification, it also covers any other products marketed separately that contain tobacco or nicotine in the final product, irrespective of the name used to sell or identify them.

This means that changing the brand name or description of a product does not place it outside the scope of the notification if the final product contains tobacco or nicotine.

The order also applies to products that are sold either in packaged or unpackaged form.

Separate products that can be mixed included

The notification further addresses products that may be sold separately but are packaged in a manner that makes it easy for consumers to mix them.

The restriction applies where tobacco or nicotine-containing products are sold separately in a form that facilitates their combination by consumers.

This provision is intended to prevent products from being marketed or sold in separate packages as a way of circumventing restrictions applicable to tobacco and nicotine-containing gutkha or pan masala.

Therefore, the order takes into account not only products that are already mixed but also certain separately packaged products where the manner of packaging facilitates mixing.

One-year restriction across Karnataka

The ban applies throughout Karnataka and covers multiple stages of the supply chain.

Manufacturers, distributors, transporters, sellers and persons storing the prohibited products are affected by the notification.

The comprehensive nature of the order means that restrictions are not limited to retail sale. Manufacturing and movement of the prohibited products within the state are also covered.

Authorities can therefore take action against prohibited products found at different points in the supply and distribution chain, subject to the applicable provisions and enforcement procedures.

Public health concerns cited

The state has cited public health concerns as the basis for imposing the restriction.

Tobacco and nicotine consumption is associated with significant health risks, and smokeless tobacco products such as gutkha have long been a concern from a public health perspective.

The notification seeks to restrict the availability of products containing tobacco and nicotine in the forms covered by the order.

The one-year restriction forms part of the state’s regulatory approach to food products containing substances that pose public health concerns.

Enforcement to be important

The effectiveness of the ban will depend significantly on its implementation and enforcement across the state.

Authorities will need to monitor manufacturers, storage facilities, distributors, transporters and retail outlets to ensure that prohibited products are not being manufactured or supplied under different names or through altered packaging.

The inclusion of products marketed under other names and products designed to facilitate mixing is significant because it seeks to address potential ways of avoiding the restriction.

The notification therefore provides a broad framework covering both directly prohibited products and certain forms of separately marketed tobacco or nicotine products.

What the notification means

For consumers, the order means that gutkha and pan masala containing tobacco and/or nicotine covered by the notification cannot legally be manufactured, stored, distributed, transported or sold in Karnataka during the one-year prohibition period.

For businesses involved in the supply chain, the notification creates restrictions at several levels, from manufacturing and storage to transportation and retail sale.

The order also makes clear that the name or form in which a product is marketed will not by itself determine whether it is covered. Products containing tobacco or nicotine in the final product, as well as specified separately packaged products that facilitate mixing, fall within the scope described in the notification.

The Karnataka government’s move represents a renewed effort to restrict the availability of tobacco and nicotine-containing gutkha and pan masala products on public health grounds. Enforcement agencies will now play a key role in ensuring compliance with the one-year prohibition across the state.