Shahi Foods removes betel nut from supari

In a move aimed at tackling black market smuggling, Shahi Foods have announced that their supari products will no longer contain chalia or betel nut. Shahi Supari, long a part of the daily routine for Pakistanis of all backgrounds and ages, will continue the rich heritage of freshness and taste, while maintaining their superior quality and flavor—albeit without the addition of betel nut.

Shahi Foods are also playing a key role in highlighting to Pakistani consumers the dangers of supporting the black market through the purchase of smuggled betel nut products, highlighting that all chalia in Pakistan has been smuggled, impacting the economy, consumers, and responsible businesses. 

To this end, the brand has launched their #SayNoToSmuggledChalia campaign to educate consumers that currently all chalia products in Pakistan are smuggled into the country illegally through the black market.

Shahi Foods have chosen to take a stand against this practice. In a statement released on their social media, Shahi Foods have highlighted that, following a change in the law regarding the import of betel nut and the resulting confusion, there have been no legal imports of betel nut into Pakistan since December 2017. Since then, “Pakistanis have spent around 150 billion rupees on smuggled chalia… [and the] government has lost Rs. 44 billion in duty and tax revenue.”

While the confusion that led to this stopping of imports has since been clarified by the courts, the brand has highlighted that the legal import of betel nut is continuing to face difficulties. Shahi Foods have thus announced that, following the finishing of their legally imported stock, they will no longer include betel nut products from their Supari line.

Through their #SayNoToSmuggledChalia campaign and their own decision to remove betel nut products from their range of supari products, Shahi Foods is aiming to set a model for responsible business practices, while also educating the public on the dangers of patronising smuggled and black market products.