In this section we highlight the key issues that may affect kava’s safety and quality. In addition to problems encountered in all types of food products (microbial contamination, adultaration, spoilage), consumers should be aware of the differences between noble and non-noble kava cultivars, as well as the difference between kava roots and the aerial parts of the plant.

Noble Kava vs Other Kava

The ancestor of modern kava (piper wichmanii - wild kava) was domesticated by the ancient Pacific islanders around 3000 years ago. Unlike piper wichmanii, piper methysticum (i.e. modern kava) is a sterile plant that can only be reproduced with human effort (by propagation from stem cuttings).  Modern kava is therefore a remarkable result of centuries of rational and skillful selection of kava mutations undertaken by growers eager to preserve the most desirable characteristics and minimise any potential negative effects of their plant. At the same time, some of the old cultivars (and the wild ancestor of kava) can still be found on some of the islands.

The the highly desirable kava varieties that have been traditionally consumed on a daily basis are known as "noble" kava cultivars. According to Vanuatu's legislation (Kava Act 2002) only noble cultivars can be legally exported from the islands in order to protect the country's kava's reputation. The other (arguably undesirable, at least when it comes to ordinary consumption) cultivars are known as "non-noble"/”other” (In Vanuatu this term encompasses groups of varieties known as “two-day/tudei” and wild kava). While non-noble varieties might have some potential ceremonial or medicinal use, they have not been traditionally consumed as daily beverage due to their higher potential for causing adverse reactions (for example: higher risk of nausea, next day hangover and lethargy) and less pleasant psychoactive effects.

Noble kavas have desirable compositions of kavalactones (chemotypes) that produce pleasant and beneficial effects. At the same time they also have very low concentrations of other compounds that may cause adverse side-effects. As noted by Dr Lebot and Dr Teschke only varieties considered as Noble have a "good reputation of safe use in Pacific Islands countries". Such strains "have a long tradition of safe use" and have been "consumed on a daily basis without apparent adverse effects when used in normal quantities".  

By contrast, non-noble kavas have undesirable chemotypes and high concentrations of other compounds (flavokavains) that could potentially produce adverse reactions. According to Dr Sarris, Dr Lebot and Dr Teschke, while medicinal varieties have "a long and proven history of beneficial properties among traditional Pacific herbalists", they are not recommended for recreational or frequent use. In fact, it has been suspected that the usage of two-day kavas in the production of certain dietary supplements sold in the West might have been one of the causes behind some of the adverse health effects associated with their prolonged use. According to Dr Teschke and Dr Lebot there is "a well established poor reputation of the non-drink Two-Day varieties". Many scientists recognise regular consumption of Non-noble kavas (as opposed to Noble varieties) as likely to cause adverse reactions and hence recommend against their consumption.

Unfortunately, some farmers and kava vendors ignore these warnings and have been either selling non-noble kavas (sometimes labelled as "Tudei", "Isa" or "Koniak" and sometime mis-labelled as one of the Noble cultivars) or mixing Two-day kavas with known Noble varieties (but still advertising them as "Noble"). There are two key reasons for this practice:

1. Non-noble varieties tend to have very heavy and long-lasting effects and sometimes feel extra "potent" (albeit they are also much more likely to cause nausea, "kava hangovers", next day lethargy/tiredness, skin problems and other unpleasant side-effects than noble kavas). People unfamiliar with kava chemotypes or the complexity of various kava experiences can easily be impressed by the deep "kick" they can get from non-noble kava (even though the nausea and "hangovers" associated with tudei can make them eventually give up kava). Similarly, many vendors demand "strong" kavas from their suppliers as they feel that these "strong" powders are more likely to win their customers hearts and wallets. Sometimes, they may genuinely believe they simply get potent noble varieties with extra sedating qualities. Sometimes though they might perhaps be aware that their "noble" kavas are spiked with tudei, but as they lack access to good, potent and purely noble kavas, they choose to turn a blind eye on this reality in order to stay in business.

2. Non-noble kavas generally grow faster and offer higher yields, which makes them very attractive to those farming for export. It takes as long as 4-5 years for Noble kavas to mature enough to be good for consumption, Non-noble kavas need much less time to gain "potency". What is more, back in the 1990s Vanuatu farmers were actually contracted to grow non-noble (mainly “two-day”) kavas for various pharmaceutical companies. As observed by the Kava Library, "a few years later, the market for tudei kava suddenly disappeared and the farmers were stuck with fields of non-noble kava. Rather than take a huge financial loss, they started blending it with their noble Kava and are still sometimes doing that to this day. It is noteworthy that the farmers themselves do not drink Tudei but [some of them] are happy to sell it."

With growing consumer awareness and new regulations (including the Vanuatu Kava Act prohibiting non-noble kava exports and the adoption of the Codex Alimentarius Regional Food Stanard for Kava in 2020 which recognises kava as a safe food product as long as it is made from noble varieties), most farmers have switched to growing noble kava only and the non-noble exports have significantly diminished. However, the problem has not entirely disappeared. In particular, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea have become significant sources of non-noble as they have little domestic kava consumption and farmers may have little awareness of the difference between noble and non-noble cultivars.

Kava Roots Vs Aerial Parts of the Plant

Another quality issue encountered in the kava industry is the use of unsuitable and potentially harmful aerial parts of (noble or non-noble) kava plants. Unlike the roots, the aerial parts of the kava plant (leaves and stems) contain a potentially toxic alkaloid (pipermethystine) and very low concentration of kavalactones. While well-peeled stems may be less of a problem than stem peelings (the toxic alkaloid is concentrated in the bark of the sun-exposed parts of the plant), their very low kavalactone content means they are at best a cheap filler. The aerial parts of the kava plant are thus widely seen as either undrinkable or at the very least of very low quality. Not surprisingly, they have never been traditionally consumed (the stem cuttings have instead been used for propagating the kava plants) and their sale for human consumption is actually technically illegal in a number of jurisdictions (including New Zealand). This problem is not limited to the kava plant. Many other plants consist of edible and toxic parts. Common examples include potatoes and tomatoes, the leaves of which are toxic. However, while it is hard to confuse a tomato fruit with tomato leaves, when it comes to powdered dry kava, it may be difficult for consumers to tell whether their kava contains any of the aerial parts of the plant. Unfortunately, some farmers and distributors have been tempted to mix these unsuitable parts (in particular stems and stem peelings) with kava roots in order to lower their costs and make a quick profit. For the same reasons, exceptionally dishonest distributors may be mixing their powders with things as sawdust, flour, or even cement powder! While extreme cases are fortunately rare, the practice of mixing kava roots with aerial parts of the plant or wood from other plants is sadly not uncommon.

Cleanliness and Food Hygiene

Just like with any other food product, basic food safety measures must be in place in order to ensure kava’s safety and suitability for consumption. This is especially important as kava powder is meant to be prepared with cold water, which means that any microbial contamination present in your kava powder won’t be killed or reduced when you prepare it. Unfortunately, not all kava producers (growers or processors) or distributors necessarily adhere to good practices in this regard. While some may be intentional in their negligence (by, for example, not drying kava properly in order to increase its weight despite the fact that this will inevitably result in mould), most may simply lack knowledge or resources in order to process their products in a safe and appropriate manner.

The problem starts soon after harvest when kava should ideally be well-washed with clean water and, ideally, meticulously peeled to both eliminate dirt/contamination and significantly improve the taste. The skin contains a higher concentration of bitter phytochemicals that may increase the chances of experiencing stomach upsets and nausea. This is a time consuming process and many producers may be tempted to skip it, especially when keeping the dirt on means retaining extra weight. Other vendors may have limited access to clean water and despite their best efforts their kava may actually become contaminated in result of getting in contact with polluted water.

Other problems might arise during drying. Most producers choose to sun-dry their kava. While some may be able to build dedicated (and sheltered) solar dryers, others simply place kava roots on the ground, rooftops or sheets of corrugated iron. This means that kava may need to be re-dried several times (rain and moisture are fairly common in the tropics), but also that it can come into contact with animals, waste and pollutants. Some farmers (especially in Fiji) choose to dry their kava with the help of fire. While this may improve the speed of drying, simple dryers used for this purpose often produce temperature that is too high and/or so much smoke that it significantly affects the taste and aroma of the kava. In some rare cases, it has been reported that farmers use bits of plastic and rubbish as fuel in such dryers, which can introduce harmful chemicals to the roots. More recently farmers have been encouraged to build dedicated solar dryers and many have used them successfully to dry kava in a much safer and efficient manner. However, ultimately the best results can be produced with the use of high quality food grade dryers that allow for appropriate moisture and temperature control and not just eliminate the risk of contamination, but also significantly improve the quality of the resulting dry kava.

Finally, many issues can arise in the final stages of processing, i.e. when kava is dried, weighted and packaged. All these steps should ideally be undertaken in a dedicated, food grade facility using food grade, regularly cleaned and sanitized equipment. Unfortunately, this is not always (or even usually) the case. Often kava processing facilities resemble simple workshops or sheds. The grinders or pounders are rarely cleaned/sanitised between batches, workers rarely wear any protective equipment and the packaging itself may not made from food grade materials. In most cases producers may simply be unaware of the need to implement the right protocols. In other cases, they may lack the necessary resources or incentive. Appropriate measures are relatively simple to implement, but they aren’t free. By choosing kava from vendors demonstrating commitment to cleanliness and food hygiene, consumers can play a vital role in providing the incentive for producers to spend more money on ensuring that their products are made in a safe and quality-preserving manner.

Kava Testing: Determining Kava's Nobility, Quality and Purity.

The practice of mislabelling kava products is perhaps not as widespread today as it was a few years ago, but it still remains a problem. As the potential dangers and unpleasant side-effects of drinking such mixes became more evident and better understood, several dedicated kava consumers and kava scientists have been working hard to come up with methods for conducting simple and inexpensive tests that would help to determine particular kava batches' purity and nobility. 

One such method is the so-called "Acetone Test", i.e. a simple solvent test developed by Dr Vincent Lebot to test whether your Kava is a “Noble” or “Two-Day” type of Kava with a relatively high degree of reliability.  Dr Lebot noted that noble kava and tudei kava each show a statistical distribution of visible wavelengths.  When mixed with a solvent (acetone), on average nobles appear yellow, and non-noble kava appear orange to the eye. This is because the main kavalactones are either translucent or yellow when dissolved in acetone. By contrast, flavokavains (the compounds present in dramatically larger amounts in non-noble kava than in noble kava) are much darker (red/brown) in colour. The accuracy can be improved by measuring the spectrum with a spectrophotometer, instead of just one's naked eye. Furthermore, as suggested by one testing manual, for best accuracy tests should be performed using known samples of the noble and two day kava cultivars that are common to a specific area.  In cases where an alleged noble sample tests as two day, positive identification of the specific cultivar can be verified by an expert. False positives (i.e. a noble kava appearing to look like non-noble) are very rare, but can happen when samples were not peeled/cleaned properly as the stump peelings (which shouldn’t be present in any high quality kava product) may contain various pigments (and higher amounts of flavokavains, even in noble kava) that can affect the test results.

While testing methodology is still under research and even more accurate methods (such as measuring flavokavain levels directly using HPLC or HPTLC, or using DNA testing techniques to precisely detect specific cultivars present in given products) may become more accessible and routinely used in the future , the currently available techniques have proven to provide convenient, useful and highly reliable screening tools for detecting tudei kava presence. It has been acknowledged by industry experts and scientists that routine testing can dramatically improved the quality and consistency of tested kava products, both when it comes to their nobility, but also the presence of other adulterants, such as the aerial parts of the plant. 

The presence of aerial parts can generally be detected if kava samples contain significant amounts of chlorophyll (detectable with a spectrometer). Kava powders with significant concentrations of aerial parts will also be much weaker (and often suspiciously cheaper) than pure root powders.

Microbial contamination contamination can easily be detected through routine (and affordable) laboratory testing. However, the best way of avoiding any issues in this area is to ensure that suppliers adhere to strict hygiene measures, wash their kava with clean water and maintain basic hygiene in and around their processing facilties.

Even though it is still unclear exactly how harmful non-noble kavas are (and it is possible that they are not necessarily more dangerous than alcohol or popular painkillers, at least when they are preparared with nothing but water), they are certainly known for having less desirable effects than noble kava and can be considered as unstuiable for regular consumption. Similarily, while the exact risk of consuming kavas containing aerial parts of the plant is not yet established, their potentially harmful (or at the very least undersirable) effects are not disputed and both traditional and modern guidelines unequivocally warn against their consumption. It is even more clear that moulded or otherwise contaminated kava is not only unpleasant but that it can present a health risk. In light of the above factors, kava enthusiast should  try to avoid buying kava from uncertain sources and should pay more attention to the issues of kava purity and truth in advertising.  

The knowledge and understanding of all of the above issues drove us to establish direct collaboration with carefully selected growers and processors on the islands and to work with them to ensure that all the kava we drink (and sell through our shop) doesn’t just consist of nothing but pure, noble kava roots, but that is is also meticulously cleaned and processed to the highest standard.