CAMPCO president demands review of WHO report calling areca nut carcinogenic

Mangaluru: The Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative (CAMPCO) on Saturday labelled the World Health Organisation's (WHO) decision of calling areca nut carcinogenic as "one-sided" and urged a reassessment of the same.

CAMPCO appealed to the central government to facilitate studies and submit reports through reputed institutions such as Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc). Despite being recognised for its Ayurvedic benefits, WHO has categorised arecanut as a cancer-causing substance, which CAMPCO claims is a unilateral decision.

CAMPCO President A Kishore Kumar Kodgi pointed out that arecanut holds a sacred place in Indian culture and has been historically acknowledged for its medicinal properties, such as easing respiratory and digestive issues. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is a part of WHO, had failed to disclose complete research data in its findings, raising suspicions about potential bias or manipulation of the report.

The CAMPCO has cited its own research, along with findings from various institutions, affirming that arecanut is not carcinogenic but instead possesses therapeutic qualities. Recently, during a discussion with former WHO scientist Soumya Swaminathan, it was suggested that ICMR and ICAR conduct research to effectively challenge the claim that arecanut is carcinogenic, he added.