The "betel nut storm" has revived, causing concern from all walks of life. Yingshan in Sichuan Province and Nanchang in Jiangxi Province have ordered local businesses not to sell betel nut as food, and a convenience store that used to sell betel nut in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, said it had been notified to remove all consumption of betel nut. A small betel nut is making waves in the market.

Nandu, N video reporters interviewed betel nut farmers, production enterprises and distributors to learn that the current betel nut product sales have been affected. A person in charge of a betel nut production company said that the frequency and quantity of dealers' purchases have declined.

The controversy over betel nut has a long history, and the crackdown on the market is not the first. As early as September 2021, the State Radio and Television Administration issued a "ban on the wide" for betel nut, requiring the use of radio and television and network audiovisual programs to promote and sell betel nut and its products. Before the "ban" was issued, betel nut frequently appeared in major TV stations, variety shows, and online platforms, and was strongly promoted as a "network red" food, and there was no shortage of star platform recommendations. Behind this, there is a huge industrial chain formed around the planting, production and processing of betel nut and sales.

disturbance

Ge Fusong died of oral cancer on September 10 at the age of 36. Fu Song said on his social media platform that his oral cancer was caused by betel nut, and called on everyone to "cherish life and stay away from betel nut", once again pushing the controversial food into the center of the storm.

Subsequently, the news of more than low requirements to remove betel nut once rushed to Weibo hot search, triggering widespread discussion. On September 21, Nandu reporter interviewed a number of convenience stores in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province that had sold betel nut, and some convenience stores said that they had been notified to remove all the betel nut from the shelves and no longer sell it abroad; Some convenience stores also said that the physical store has been removed, but you can still place orders on the takeout platform, and there are still stocks in the store; Some merchants said they had not received a notice of removal, and there was still a small amount of edible betel nut on sale in the store, but to see the relevant news, they have stopped stocking.

Nandu reporter located Yiwu City on a takeout platform, searched for "betel nut" and found that there are still 35 merchants who have edible betel nut to order.

Prior to this, the market supervision bureau of Yingshan County, Sichuan Province, organized a collective interview with betel nut agents and dealers in the county. According to the requirements of the meeting, each business may not sell areca nut and areca nut products marked on food packaging and labels; For the sale of betel nut and betel nut products in food business premises, immediately contact the food business unit to remove the shelves, if there is an illegal act, will be investigated and punished according to law.

The Nandu reporter learned from a staff member of the Yingshan County Market Supervision Bureau that the local businesses are required to sell betel nut separately from food, and can only be placed in non-food sales areas with clear signs, and it is recommended that the non-food sales areas be clearly marked with betel nut warnings. In addition, it also requires that related products cannot use food packaging and food labels, "just can not see that it is food."

On September 20, Nanchang Market Supervision Bureau of Jiangxi Province also told Nandu reporters that in order to strengthen the supervision of betel nut products and prevent food safety risks, the bureau put forward requirements for the city's market supervision system, and the city's food operators shall not sell betel nut products as food. The regulation came into effect on September 6, according to the bureau staff.

Under the "off the shelf storm", Nandu reporters interviewed betel nut farmers, production enterprises and dealers to learn that the current betel nut product sales have been affected. A factory located in Xiangtan City, Hunan Province, betel nut production company related person in charge to the Southern metropolis reporter revealed that by the recent controversy about betel nut, betel nut sales market has a certain fluctuation. "The overall feedback of the market is indeed much slower," the person in charge said, and the frequency and quantity of dealers' purchases have declined.

However, some betel nut product dealers told Nandu reporters that the betel nut industry was not only affected by the storm. An obvious change is that betel nut products packaged in small bags are now better sold, such as 5 yuan, 6 yuan, 10 yuan a bag is more favored by consumers. And before 30 yuan, 50 yuan a bag, betel nut number more products better sell. "I feel good about that. People are aware of the need for moderation."

A betel nut farmer in Hainan told Nandu reporter that the purchase price of betel nut this year was 16 yuan to 19 yuan, down about 5 yuan from last year.

A betel nut dealer in Hunan told Nandu reporters that for him personally, he has not yet felt the impact of the storm, "Sales of what is still normal, this is not the first time, every year, some people say, did not see any changes."

Internet celebrity

The controversy over betel nut has a long history, and the crackdown on the market is not the first.

On September 17, 2021, the State Radio and Television Administration issued a notice on its official website, requiring that from now on, the use of radio and television and network audiovisual programs to promote and sell betel nut and its products should be stopped. A stone aroused thousands of waves, betel nut has since disappeared in major TV stations, variety shows, network platforms and so on.

In the past many years, the betel nut brand frequently appeared in the art party, film and television works, variety shows, which caused continuous controversy.

According to Nandu previously reported, taking Hunan betel nut leading enterprise "Taste King" as an example, since 2017, "Taste King" has sponsored Hunan Satellite TV Spring Festival Gala for three consecutive years. Among them, in 2017 and 2018, "Taste King" as the exclusive title of Hunan Satellite TV Spring Festival Gala and Lantern Festival Joy Party, in a number of crosstalk, skits and other programs implanted advertising. Host Wang Han had broadcast advertising slogan "Hunan people eat the king of taste on the New Year", host Shen Mengchen said "let you be in good spirits, rejuvenate, find a young state".

In 2019, the "Taste King" became the "chief partner" of Hunan TV Spring Festival Gala. In addition to continuing to implant lines in the skit, the auspicious doll next to the actor sang the song also threw the brand betel nut on the scene.

Nandu reporter combing found that in addition to the "family reunion" gala, in recent years, a number of betel nut brands have also taken "youth" as the goal, seeking to expose more popular network variety with young people as the audience, covering street dance, rap, talk show and other fields. For example, "Xiangtan Shop" sponsored Tencent video ace variety "ridicule Conference 5" "Deyun Douxiao Society", "Taste King" exclusive title Youku self-made variety "This! Is Slam Dunk 3" "Happy comedy person 5", and sponsored "Rap listen to my 2" "This! Is street dance 4 ", "He Cheng World" is named Mango TV's homemade variety "Wild Kitchen", "Zhang Xinfa" also appeared in iQiyi variety "1.3 billion decibels".

The online drama Ruqing Xiangxi has given technical treatment to betel nut product placement (above) (below).

It is worth noting that in the above program, in addition to placing regular patch advertisements, inserted advertisements, physical placement, etc., these brands of betel nut are also packaged as "mental particles" and "refreshing devices", claiming to "help refreshing the fried field", and even to add wolfberry and probiotics as selling points, claiming to "achieve the dual supply of nutrition". Trying to make betel nut into a network red food.

Related advertising placement has also caused widespread controversy, and many netizens questioned under the relevant microblog of the program group: "Want to be crazy about money, betel nut advertising is also accepted, don't be ethical completely?" "Areca nut is a confirmed carcinogen, change the money father."

In fact, because long-term chewing of betel nut can increase the risk of oral cancer in the population, as early as 2003, the International Center for Research on Cancer, which is affiliated with the World Health Organization, identified betel nut as a Class A carcinogen - that is, the most dangerous substance with clear carcinogenicity to the human body. Also at this level are arsenic, tobacco, formaldehyde and so on. In 2012, the agency also listed areca nut, tobacco-containing areca nut chews, and non-tobacco-containing areca nut chews as a Class of carcinogens.

The Nandu reporter found that in 2017, the former State Food and Drug Administration also included areca nut in the list of carcinogens when it was published. In January 2019, the General Office of the National Health Commission issued the "Oral Health Action Plan (2019-2025)", which clearly mentioned the implementation of high-risk oral disease behavior intervention, "in areas with the habit of chewing betel nut, focusing on the harm of long-term chewing betel nut to oral health, targeted publicity education and oral health inspection. Promote early diagnosis and treatment of periodontal and oral mucosal diseases." In 2021, the National Health Commission also clearly pointed out in its reply to the suggestions of deputies to the National People's Congress that "long-term chewing of betel nut can increase the risk of oral cancer in the population, mainly related to the formation of nitroso compounds after chewing of the chemical substances contained in betel nut, and it is also related to the mechanical trauma of the oral mucosa caused by the hardness of betel nut."

In fact, as early as February 2020, the newly revised "Food Production License Classification Catalogue" of the State Administration for Market Regulation has not included the "consumption of betel nut", which means that betel nut is no longer managed as a food, nor can it be issued a food production license, and the production license and supervision of betel nut as a food have lacked basis.

However, in March 2021, Hunan Betel Nut Food Industry Association still took the lead in drafting and issuing the "Eating betel nut" group standard.

estate

On the evening of September 21, Hainan Province betel Nut Association issued a "Notice on the Development of Hainan betel nut Industry in recent Years" in response to the storm.

The circular explained the quality, planting technology, medicinal value, processing products and food and drug development of betel nut products in Hainan Province, and suggested that relevant government departments should establish and improve relevant laws and regulations and industry standards, and strengthen the supervision of the entire industrial chain of betel nut industry. The relevant departments should strengthen the research and development of betel nut industry related products, increase the research investment of medicine and food homology, and develop more betel nut medicinal extension products. Further promote the comprehensive landing of environmental protection drying equipment for primary processing, strengthen the supervision of the standardized process of deep processing, and enhance the health value of betel nut products.

Behind the repeated troubles of betel nut is a huge industrial chain formed around the planting, production and processing of betel nut and sales. According to the data disclosed by China Market Supervision News in September 2021, 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 continued to rise.

It is understood that Hainan is the main producer of betel nut in China, and Hunan is the main production and processing and consumption base.

Betel nut is an important tropical cash crop with local characteristics and advantages in Hainan, and is one of the "three trees" vigorously advocated by the Hainan provincial government, Hainan Daily reported. By the end of 2019, the province's betel nut planting area reached 1.78 million mu, which is an important source of economic income for 2.3 million farmers in Hainan, accounting for 41.37% of the province's agricultural population.

The Nandu reporter queried the "Hainan Statistical Yearbook 2021" and found that by the end of 2020, the betel nut planting area in Hainan Province was 124,686 hectares (about 1.87 million mu), of which 7549 hectares (about 110,000 mu) of new planting area in that year, and the total output of that year was about 280,000 tons. By region, Qionghai City in Hainan Province had the highest output that year, with about 38,900 tons, followed by Wanning City with a gap of 200 tons.

Nandu reporters noted that in a number of policy documents in Hainan Province, betel nut can be found. The "Action Plan for Coordinated Epidemic Prevention and Control and Economic Recovery in Hainan Province" issued in September this year proposed to explore underforest space resources such as betel nut to support the healthy development of the betel nut industry. The "Implementation Plan for the Construction of an innovative Province in Hainan Province" issued in February this year proposed to focus on the development of 15 varieties of industries, including betel nut.

In June 2018, the General Office of the Hainan Provincial Government issued a document supporting the construction of betel nut processing clusters in Wanning, Qionghai, Ding 'an, Tunchang, Qiongzhong and other cities and counties.

In addition, Wanning City "14th Five-Year Plan" proposed the development of betel nut planting and processing trade of 10 billion industrial chain, to create a leading enterprise; To build the world's largest betel nut trading market, betel nut processing industry chain output value reached 10 billion yuan.

In Hunan province, betel nut is also worth tens of billions of dollars. According to Nandu previously reported, Hunan betel nut food industry Association released data show that in 2020, Hunan betel nut food industry scale has exceeded 40 billion yuan.

Xiangtan City in Hunan Province, as the birthplace and distribution center of edible betel nut production and processing, its annual output value of betel nut processing exceeded 20 billion yuan as early as 2017. According to the calculation of the Xiangtan government department in that year, the output value of the industrial chain around the planting, production and sales of betel nut reached 50 billion yuan, which became an important force supporting regional economic development. At that time, the first phalanx of betel nut food composed of "fat brother", "Little Dragon King", "Emperor", "Binzhilang", "taste king", "Wu Zi drunk" and "He Chang" and other brands reached 70% of the market share, and the industry output value grew at an average annual rate of 20%-30%.

On September 20, a document signed on September 17 suspected to be issued by the Hunan betel nut Food Industry Association showed that some areas were required to stop the "removal of Hunan betel nut across the board", causing concern. On the same day, the Nandu reporter contacted the Hunan betel nut Food Industry Association whose members included "fat brother", "Emperor", "Binzhilang" and "Wu Zi drunk" and other brands, and the other party did not respond to the above documents and related content.

The controversial "net red food" is facing a new round of regulatory pressure, and the question of where to go in the future is once again in front of all parties.