U.S. Food Regulators Perceptions of Areca Nut as Food and Religious Exemption

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1 U.S. Food Regulators Perceptions of Areca Nut as Food and Religious Exemption Allen L. Mozek, MPH IFPTI Fellow New York State Department of Agriculture Division of Food Safety & Inspection Slide 1

2 Areca catechu Processed edible seed kernel Fruiting palm tree Slide 2

3 Triune of Paan (Betel Quid) Areca nut Betel leaf Slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) Slide 3

4 Food Condiments and Tobacco Are Optional Slide 4

5 Religious Ritual (puja) Non-Food Item in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Animism Slide 5

6 Background Areca nut and betel quid (with and without tobacco) cause oral cancer, oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) and other precancerous lesions. (WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2004). OSF is an unconventional chronic foodborne disease. OSF has a 7 to 30% malignant transfer rate. Areca nut is only etiologic agent for OSF. Slide 6

7 Constant irritation causes chronic inflammation; Alkaloid absorption in the mouth causes fibrosis Slide 7

8 OSF is observable scarlet stained teeth and restrictive mouth opening (trismus) Role of areca alkaloids in OSF (Ghom & Mhaske, 2008). Slide 8

9 Background (continued) 600 million people (10 20 % of the world s population) practice areca nut chewing culture on the subcontinent of India and in South East Asia including immigrants and refugees in the U.S. Areca nut (with natural alkaloids including arecoline) is the fourth most common addictive substance in the world after; alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine. Slide 9

10 Problem Statement U.S. food regulators may not be aware of areca nut or paan. May not consider areca nut or paan as food. May not consider areca nut exempt from adulteration if labeled: For Religious Purposes Only Not For Human Consumption. Slide 10

11 Methodology Food regulators in 20 metro areas (22 states) with largest Asian populations surveyed. (19 of 108 (17.6%) responded). Questions: Have you heard of betel nut (areca nut)? Have you heard of paan (betel quid)? Do you consider betel nut a food? Do you consider paan a food? Would you consider a religious exemption? Slide 11

12 Heard of Betel Nut/Paan? Are They Food? (%) Slide 12

13 Religious Exemption if Labeled? Slide 13

14 Conclusions There is a lack of awareness amongst U.S. food regulators regarding areca nut and paan (betel quid). Regulators are unsure if areca nut and paan are food. Only 10.5% of regulators would consider a religious exemption. Slide 14

15 Recommendations Provide food regulators with evidence of the serious harm caused by areca nut chewing; with and without tobacco. Examine oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) as an unconventional chronic foodborne disease caused by consumption of areca nut. Educate immigrants and refugees concerning the health effects from consuming areca nut products. Slide 15

16 Recommendations (continued) Inform health providers, serving at risk populations, about the likelihood of diagnosing OSF and other precancerous lesions and conditions. Regulate areca nut as an adulterated food. Exempt whole areca nut for religious worship when packaged and labeled; Not For Human Consumption Religious Purposes Only. Slide 16

17 Ancient Areca Nut (Betel Nut) Chewing Culture is where Cultural anthropology meets food safety. The definition of food is challenged. Religious exemption is unique. Areca nut addiction (betelmania) meets tobacco addiction. U.S. food regulators can mitigate oral cancer and oral sub mucous fibrosis (OSF) disease worldwide insofar as U.S. policy has a ripple effect worldwide. Slide 17

18 References 1. Auluck, A., Hislop, G., Poh, C., Zhang, L., & Rosin, M. P. (2009). Areca nut and betel quid chewing among South Asian immigrants to western countries and its implications for oral cancer screening. Rural Remote Health, 9, Awang, M. N. (1986). Estimation of arecoline contents in commercial areca (betel) nuts and its relation to oral precancerous lesions. Singapore Medical Journal, 27, Aziz, S. R. (2010). Coming to America: Betel nut and oral submucous fibrosis. Journal of the American Dental Association, 141(4), Changrani, J., Gany, F. M., Cruz, G., Kerr, R., & Katz, R. (2006). Paan and gutka use in the United States: A pilot study in Bangladeshi and Indian-Gujarati immigrants in New York City. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 4(1), Slide 18

19 References (continued) 5. Gupta, P. C. & Warnakulasuriya, S. (2002). Global epidemiology of areca nut usage. Addiction Biology, 7, International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2004). Betel-quid and areca-nut chewing and some areca nut related nitrosamines. IARC Monograph, 85, Stanley, J. (2010). Confessions of a white, middle-aged paan eater. Retrieved from 8. Sullivan, R. J. & Hagen, E. H. (2002). Psychotropic substanceseeking: Evolutionary pathology or adaptation? Addiction, 97, U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). The Asian population: Retrieved from Slide 19

20 Acknowledgements IFPTI mentors; James Sevchik, Dr. Preston Hicks, and Joseph Corby Erin Sawyer, NYS Department of Agriculture, Division of Food Safety and Inspection Dr. Ross Kerr, Director, Oral Mucosal Disease Service, NYU College of Dentistry Prakash C. Gupta, Director, Healis Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health, Navi, Mumbai, India Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, Head and Neck Surgeon, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India Slide 20

21 Questions? Slide 21

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