The proposed regional standard for the use of Kava products as a beverage was discussed at the regional Codex Committee meeting currently being held in Port Vila, Vanuatu.
The proposed regional standard is to be applied to fresh or dried kava products that are used to prepare a beverage when mixed with portable water. The standard does not apply for medicinal purposes. It applies to our traditional Fijian way of drinking kava when mixed with water.
Deputy Secretary for Agriculture Development, Jone Sovalawa said the Fijian Government recognized kava as a crucial crop.
“The Ministry of Agriculture recognizes kava as an important crop, with a huge domestic market and expanding export markets. A regional standard will add to the current effort by stakeholders in Fiji for accessing new markets.
“With the adoption of the regional, and subsequent international Codex Kava Standard, it will recognize kava as a safe beverage if it is prepared according to the conditions outlined in the standards,” said Mr. Sovalawa.
Once the regional standard for kava is adopted, it will be progressed to the international Codex Alimentarius Commission, a process that is expected to take two years.
The week long meeting held comprehensive technical discussions including proposed regional standards for kava and noni fruit juice with parallel side events on “Introducing the operational guide on the use of referral laboratories for the analysis of food-borne hazards in the Pacific” and “Accessing the Codex Trust Funds 2”.
Mr. Sovalawa, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture is the National Codex Contact Point and Chairman of the National Codex Committee in Fiji.
Kava producing countries in the Pacific consist of Fiji, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia and the island state of Hawaii in the United States.
The 15th Session of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) Codex Committee of North America and South West Pacific (CCNASWP) is currently being held from 16th to 29th September 2019 in Vanuatu.