Well-known Pacific cultural drink, kava, has officially been recognised as a drink and not a just a drug, but only when mixed with water. The international body which sets global food standards, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, established a standard for kava as a beverage last month which is expected to open fair trade between 14 countries, including New Zealand. It comes after a 16-year battle by the Coordinating Committee for North America and South West Pacific (CCNASWP) to get the traditional Pacific drink recognised as more than just a drug. Kava is a bitter drink which numbs the mouth, relaxes the body and calms the mind. Traditionally, it is served in a coconut shell among friends or at weddings, but is now commercially bottled and seen the emergence of kava bars. It’s derived from the roots of the kava plant ？ which is grounded up, mixed with water and strained to make a brownish-coloured social and ceremonial drink. It has been consumed in Pacific nations like Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu for generations while the trade of kava, specifically as a drink, has been running in New Zealand for a few years. The drink, which is often maligned and misunderstood in the West, is gaining popularity because of the therapeutic effects which have made it a traditional medicine and an alternative to alcohol. According to the Codex decision, the standard applies to fresh or dried kava products used to prepare a drink ？ when mixed with water ？ for human consumption. The standard does not apply to kava products used for medicinal purposes or as an ingredient in food. The Codex decision means countries like New Zealand, Australia America, Canada and 10 Pacific Island nations can now trade kava drinks between them as a food and beverage. Timothy Tumukon, CCNASWP regional coordinator, said it’s a proud moment after years of trying to change the Western World’s view of the drink. “Certain societies viewed it as a drug and in a way they are right, kava has a lot of different chemical compositions which gives different people different results,” Tumukon said. “But we have data to verify that there is potential to consider kava as a beverage, and we’re so happy that this has finally been recognised. “If it is prepared with water, guided by the conditions of the standard, then kava is classed as a beverage.” Tumukon said for years, different countries had their own regulatory standards for kava trade and while the Codex decision doesn’t change the trade of dried kava products like chips, crops and powder, it has opened up an opportunity in the market to trade it as a drink. “It’s a huge business opportunity to jump on board, especially for the Pacific nations.” He said the Codex standard is only a regional recognition, but he hopes that will extend to other parts of the world, particularly Asian and European markets. But the development has also triggered some concern. The University of Waikato’s Dr Apo Aporosa, an expert in kava, said he had a few worries about the new standard, one being the cultural appropriation of the drink in export. He said in his experience, trade would more likely focus on the Western market and worried kava could lose its culture and respect. “We like to sit down and mix it ourselves, but we live in an economical-focused world and people will definitely be jumping on the bandwagon for this because kava is now profit-driven,” he said. “We will butt heads and continue to do that on indigenous products but how can we protect indigenism, that cat’s already out of the bag.” He said kava is still a drug but the Codex standard will frame it appropriately ？ in his opinion, a substance that is both safe and plays an important role in the cultural practices and history of Pacific people. “We have to be very careful with that because if we’re going to get technical, kava is still a drug. Anything that creates psychotropic change is still a drug, just like tea and coffee [caffeine]. “Unfortunately kava has attracted a lot of attention over the years, driven by misinformation and false claims related to health impacts.” The Ministry for Primary Industries said the recognition is a major milestone for Codex members, particularly the small Pacific Island states as they struggle with the economical and financial impacts of Covid-19. ”With kava already a high export earner for many of the Pacific Island countries, the Codex regional standard is expected to further increase the value of exports.” https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/122992256/traditional-kava-drink-officially-recognised-by-world-body-as-a-drink