Patna: In the light of the directive given at the high-level meeting convened under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, the Food Safety Commissioner has banned pan masala of various brands of the state. This restriction has been imposed due to the quantity of Magnesium carbonate in the pan masala samples obtained from different districts.

It is known that magnesium carbonate causes various diseases including heart disease. According to the standard given in the Food Safety Act 2006 for pan masala, the addition of magnesium carbonate is prohibited. Therefore, keeping in mind the public health, this ban has been imposed for a year at present. A sample of some other brands has been sent for examination, which will be done on the report.