The chewing gum Zing promises to help wean tobacco addicts away from the deadly habit. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is not impressed.
Tobacco cannot be added to edibles. Tomorrow, tobacco could even be added to chocolates and jalebis. The assistant FDA commissioner at our Ahmednagar office told me about the presence of tobacco in Zing, said A Ramakrishnan, FDA commissioner, Maharashtra.
However, when contacted, the lawyer for Dalmia Consumer Care, New Delhi, makers of Zing, said: Zing has been launched to help people give up the tobacco habit. We are test-marketing it all over India.
It is a water-soluble tobacco extract and we have received good market feedback. There are other chewing gum brands too that have nicotine.
He added, Since the product is being test-marketed it is available only at few outlets across the country, even in Mumbai. We will respond to any query or notice sent by a government agency, added the lawyer, who did not wish to be named.
But the Maharashtra FDA is not in the mood to listen. It is absurd. How can the company claim that a product that contains tobacco can be used as substitute for gutkha and paan masala?
The FDA has never allowed any food product with tobacco content to be sold in Maharshtra. It is a new product and the FDA will ensure that it is not sold in Maharashtra. On our part we will also inform the Delhi government about the product, said Ramakrishan.
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