What happened to the betel nut industry with a value of 100 billion yuan behind the shelves?

Source: Chengdu Business Daily Author: Shu Shengxiang

"Ask the majority of business households to take off the shelves consciously. Our bureau will carry out special cleanup operations in the near future in accordance with relevant laws and policies, and resolutely investigate and punish related illegal acts."

Recently, market supervision departments across the country have issued similar notices, asking merchants to remove betel nuts and betel nut products. The Red Star Capital Bureau did not fully statistics found that at least 7 places have been clearly required to be removed. Data show that the betel nut industry is currently nearly 100 billion yuan. This time, the market regulatory authorities in various places are required to remove or press the suspension key for its development.

Earlier, 36 -year -old singer Fu Song died of unfortunate oral cancer. He had stated on the social platform during his lifetime that he had betel nut on the social platform and called on everyone to "cherish life and stay away from betel nut".

Multi -place requirement to get off betel nut

It is first promulgated in 1996

As early as September 1996, the Xiamen Municipal People's Government promulgated the "Provisions for the Prohibition of Production, Sales and Consumption of Consumption and Consumption of Betel nuts".

In May of this year, the Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Xi Shui County, Zunyi City, Guizhou Province published a carcinogenic related articles on the public account of "Xi Shui Market Supervision", and said: "Please take off the house consciously, our bureau will follow the relevant. Legal and policy requirements, special cleanup operations have been carried out in the near future, and relevant illegal actions are resolutely investigated and punished. "

From September 7th to 9th, the Food Supervisory stocks, comprehensive law enforcement brigades, and market supervision office of the Huidong County Market Supervision Bureau of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province also carried out special rectification of betel nut and betel nut products. Betel nut products.

On September 13, Jianxing Town, south of Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, issued a notice saying that in accordance with the "Notice on the Supervision of betel nut products" in accordance with the General Office of the General Administration of Market Supervision (City Supervision [2021] No. 1582), Sichuan Province Market The requirements of the Office of the Supervision and Administration Bureau's "Notice on Strengthening the Supervision of Betel nut products" and other documents, from that time, all food operators must be removed in time, and they must not sell betel nuts and betel nut products with food packaging and label logo.

On September 16, the WeChat account of the Xinjin District Market Supervision Bureau of Chengdu mentioned that in order to further strengthen the supervision of the sales of betel nut products, recently, the Huaqiao Institute launched a special inspection operation of betel nut products. In this operation, the surrounding campus, supermarkets, convenience stores, small shopping malls, etc. as key inspection areas, in -depth investigation of illegal sales of betel nut, and use online takeaway platforms to retrieve illegal sales of betel nut merchants, and then conduct offline inspections to achieve precise blows Essence At present, a total of 10 food business units such as convenience stores, supermarkets, etc. have been checked, and 6 food operators have sold betel nut to sell betel nuts. They have been ordered to remove immediately.

On September 19, WeChat public account of the WeChat public account of Yingshan County Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Nanchong City, Sichuan Province stated that each operator may not sell betel nuts and betel nut products of food packaging and labels; Immediately contact the food business unit to remove the shelves.

On September 15, a merchant in Yiwu received a notice asking for all betel nuts to remove all the betel nuts, and it was permanently prohibited as food sales, otherwise it would face punishment. A person from the food supervision department of the Yiwu Market Supervision and Administration Bureau responded: "We did not receive the saying of getting off the betel nut in the city, but to sell betel nut as 'betel nut products', and to be sold according to food. For sale, betel nut can not be sold with food. "

Betel nut has been included in the first -level carcinogen in 2017

Betel nut contains betel nuts, ephedrine and other substances. Eating can make people excited. Long -term consumption is easy to generate dependence and has certain addiction. Regarding the "ban on sale", Ruan Guangfeng, director of the Science and Technology Department of the Food and Health Information Exchange Center, expressed support. He said that the greatest harm of betel nut to health is that it will increase the risk of cavity cancer. Betel nuts are easy to burn the oral mucosa, chewing for a long time, which can easily lead to oral lesions.

The betel nut industry has been controversial. When the former State Food and Drug Administration announced the list of carcinogens in 2017, betel nut fruits have been included in the first -class carcinogen. Ruan Guangfeng said that in the "Health Oral Action Plan (2019-2025)" issued by the General Office of the National Health and Health Commission, it is mentioned that the high-risk behavior of the oral disease is required to be betel nut. Focusing on the harm of oral health, betel nuts are targeted to carry out publicity and education and oral health examinations, and promote early diagnosis and early treatment of diseases such as periodontal and oral mucosal disease.

From the perspective of food safety, nutritional health, and reducing the risk of diseases, Wang Silu, a national -level health manager and a national high -level food inspector, supports this latest "ban" regulations.

Wang Silu said that long -term consumption of betel nut not only easily leads to oral cancer, but also increases the risk of tongue cancer, esophageal cancer, throat cancer, liver cancer and other cancers. In addition, there are relevant evidence that people who have the habit of chewing betel nut have higher risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, gastritis, chronic kidney disease, and liver cirrhosis. "Because of the great harm, the sale of betel nuts from the source is the fundamental rule to ensure consumers' health."

Betel nuts that rely on "harmless" advertising

The Red Star Capital Bureau noticed that before the brand propaganda of betel nut companies, not only has "harmful health" on the outer packaging, but also companies have declared "health" in advertisements.

The Hongxing Capital Bureau checked the information and found that the earliest betel nut advertisement appeared in 1997. In 1997, the Hunan Economic Vision Lucky Series Entertainment Program broadcast the "Emperor Betel nut" advertisement. By 2004, the host Wang Han broadcast the "Youwen betel nut" advertisement on the show "Super Girl", "Your taste, I know." It can be seen from it that the early advertising of betel nut was promoted with local media as the position.

The Hongxing Capital Bureau noticed that in 2017, the People's Government of Xiangtan City posted on the official website that the production of betel nut in Xiangtan City accounted for more than 80%of the province's total production, with annual sales revenue of more than 8 billion yuan, tax revenue of over 100 million yuan, nearly 150,000 people nearly 150,000 people Working related to betel nut.

From 2017 to 2019, the betel nut brand "Taste King" has been on the Hunan Satellite TV Spring Festival Gala for 3 consecutive years. Follow your taste king ", and then go to Wang Han's" Hunan people eat the taste king in the New Year. "

From the perspective of advertising words, the focus of publicity at this stage is mostly "taste".

By March 2019, the Hunan Provincial Association of Betel nut Food Industry issued a notice that all betel nut production enterprises in Hunan will stop all domestic advertising from the next day, and this work must be completed before March 15 of that year.

However, this paper ban from the Hunan Provincial Industry Association failed to completely restrain betel nut companies. Since then, betel nut advertising has chosen to get out of the local media. The focus of betel nut has also changed. From "taste" to functional "health", "refreshing" and "health" and so on.

In 2020, the betel nut brand "Xiangtan Shop" sponsored the variety show "Deyun Dou Xiao Society".

The Tianyancha APP shows that the main operating company behind this brand is Hunan Wuzui Industrial Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Wu Zihan Industrial"), and its registered address is Xiangtan City, Hunan Province. In other words, it is still advertising after the above ban was released.

Practitioners in an advertising industry told the Red Star Capital Bureau that a few years ago, the public had gradually realized the harmfulness of betel nut, and betel nut companies were targeted with the marketing ideas of "health" and "health".

Not only "Xiangtan Shop", the Red Star Capital Bureau found that the brand "asking food" has launched a Dendrobium betel nut, which claims to integrate Chinese medicine into the betel nut, so that consumers can enjoy the taste of betel nut, they can also ensure the body. The role of health.

In the long -term "harmless" advertising, the market of betel nut has continued to expand. Until September 17, 2021, the State Administration of Radio and Television issued a notice saying that from now on, it has stopped using radio and television and online audiovisual programs to promote and sell betel nuts and its products.

The game between 100 billion betel nut industry and public health

The production value of China's betel nut industry is nearly 100 billion yuan. According to data from the China Market Supervision News, from 2011 to 2018, the output value of China's betel nut industry rose from 55.8 billion yuan to 78.1 billion yuan, and it continued to rise. With the stricter of supervision, what is expected to go from the 100 billion -scale betel nut industry?

Whether the advertisement is stopped or the "prohibition" of this time, behind it is still a game between 100 billion betel nut industries and public health.

Despite the continuous voice of various medical institutions and industry associations, my country's betel nut industry has expanded rapidly. According to the China Food News, data show that there are currently more than 14,000 betel nut -related enterprises in my country, mainly distributed in Hunan, Hainan and Fujian. Since last year, the number of betel nut companies in the country has leapt sharply, with more than 2,800 registrations, an increase of 89%over 2019. This year's growth trend is still hot. So far, more than 2,600 betel nut companies have registered in the country.

Some netizens said that the planting, processing, and sales of the betel nut industry have formed an industrial chain. If they are "prohibited", they should fully consider the interests of employees and dealers, and cannot cut it in one shot.

An industry insider in the western region said that the planting and processing of betel nuts are mainly in southern provinces such as Hainan and Hunan, and other provinces are mostly betel nut consumer areas. If "prohibited", in fact, it will not have much impact on the economic impact of the consumer area, and it may have some impact on wholesalers and merchants.

The reporter contacted the processing and sales enterprise of a betel nut brand in Hunan Province. Its national investment hotline customer service said that it has not received the notice of "prohibited sale", and the national investment channels are currently unblocked.

Facing the ban again, where will the betel nut industry go in the future? "On the one hand, there are real and corporate interests, and on the other hand, it is public health and hygiene. It is difficult for all parties to benefit in the short term." Ruan Guangfeng believes that the evidence of the carcinogenic carcinogenic of betel nut will be conclusive. Disaster. "The betel nut industry has indeed promoted the local economy and employment in the short term, but the medical costs caused by diseases such as oral cancer will actually exceed these economic benefits."

According to research predictions, according to the current trend, by 2030, oral cancer -related cases of betel nuts may accumulate more than 300,000 cases in Hunan, and there may be more than 1 million conservative estimates across the country. The medical burden of oral cancer related to betel nut in the country is conservatively estimated for 200,000 yuan per medical expense. The cumulative cumulative may exceed 200 billion yuan, which is enough to offset its economic contribution to society.

According to the "China Food News", "the nation's betel nut industry will reach at least 100 billion yuan in market capacity in the future." In 2021, the food industry expert Zhu Danpeng said in an interview with the media that betel nut is a high -profit industry, while chewing betel nut at the same time, while chewing betel nut The addiction characteristics of the product have attracted the stable consumer group. Take Hunan, a large consumer province, as an example, the proportion of the population of betel nut is close to 50%. And this is not only related to the living habits of people in multiple regions, but also closely related to the economic development of the region. In fact, many people in the industry believe that currently there is a clear standard for the betel nut industry to guide related companies how to do it. "The supervision system of the betel nut industry is still not perfect, and the development of the betel nut industry requires reasonable guidance." Zhu Danpeng said that with the efforts of many parties, through legislative methods, to balance the relationship between the development of the industry and public health, and push the supervision of betel nut to the supervision of betel nut to A reasonable and compliant direction.

No longer belongs to "food"

What is the "betel nut product"?

As a first -class carcinogen, betel nut, its "food" identity has been controversial all year round. In Hunan and other places, the betel nut industry has been nearly 100 billion yuan, and betel nut products have been relatively popular as "special foods", and there are great hidden health risks. Although the use of radio and television and online audiovisual programs to promote the sales of betel nuts and its products have been banned, the sales of betel nut products are hardly affected.

The main betel nut products sold on the market are mostly produced by Hunan enterprises. Since 2021, the Hunan Provincial Market Supervision and Administration Bureau has no longer handling food production licenses and extensions of all betel nut companies in the province. In other words, if there is no food production license or a food production license has expired, the betel nut produced after that will no longer have food attributes.

In fact, as early as two years ago, the latest revised "Food Production Licensing Catalog" by the State Administration of Market Supervision has canceled the category of "eating betel nut". Betel nut no longer as food management, nor can it be issued a "food production license certificate". As a food production license and supervision, betel nut lacks basis.

Based on this, the relevant local departments require that betel nut products are not allowed as food sales, which is normal law enforcement behavior. Including Hunan, all places should be handled by this. How should the "identity" that does not belong to the food of food should be defined? Where should the relevant manufacturers go?

According to reports, in order to solve the problem of regulatory regulation, the Hunan Provincial Market Supervision and Administration Bureau has submitted to the provincial government that the Provincial Health and Health Commission will promote the safety assessment of betel nut and report to the State Health and Health Commission to study the "medicine and food simultaneous medicine and food and food. Source "Catalog. The relevant departments of Hunan are still striving to determine the positioning of betel nut "local specialty products" through local legislation. After the news was released, it was soon questioned by "no money for money".

It is worth asking that after kicking out the food directory, "betel nut as a 'betel nut product' to sell, and it is not allowed to be sold according to food." So how should the "betel nut products" be qualitative? What exactly is the "identity" of "partition sales"? Relevant departments need to give a clear statement as soon as possible to stabilize relevant enterprises' expectations and guide rational consumption behaviors.

Chengdu Business Daily-Red Star Journalist Yu Yao Zhang Luxi Yang Peiwen Comprehensive Extreme News

(Editor in charge: Chang Shuai Shuai)

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