Tongan Kava Exports to European Markets to Resume Soon
The long awaited World Health Organization (WHO) report on "The assessment of the risk of hepatotoxity with kava products" has finally been released signaling that kava is safe.
Chairman of the Tonga Kava Council, To’imoana Takataka said the confirmation from WHO was released in May and the Pacific Kava Council is awaiting an official report from the International Kava Council with regards to when they would open up the European market for kava from the Pacific.
“As far as the kava industry in the Pacific region was concerned, this was a major breakthrough since the WHO report was favorable to their cause,” said Takataka.
To’imoana Takataka is an executive member of both the Pacific and International Kava Council. Meanwhile a member of the Pacific Kava Council in Fiji, Mr. Nawalowalo said, "Our fight under the umbrella of the International Kava Executive Council (IKEC), since the ban in 2000 by Germany, UK and France followed by other European states and other international markets like USA, Canada, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, to lift the controversial product ban and trade restrictions will be consolidated by this WHO report.”
"Now that we have WHO support, we will have to keep pushing at all avenues through the World Trade Organizations to remove trade restrictions subsequent to this WHO release, said Takataka.
According to Takataka, members of the Pacific Kava Council would need the support and assistance of their Governments as kava exports would become the major alternative export trade commodity to generate a major part of each country’s economy.
“We need all the support that we could have to speed up work at international level for the lifting of the ban on kava by the European markets. We are hoping to start exporting this important commodity by the end of this year or early next year,” said Takataka.
This report from WHO is a milestone to us because the ban imposed on our kava was based on the adverse effects of kava to the human body. Now that WHO has confirmed that the previous reports were wrong, we are happy that we would be able to continue exporting kava,” he said.
According to Takataka, the ban on kava was imposed in 2000 after a number of case reports of liver toxicity were filed to the health authorities. Some cases were identified as being probably related to kava extract intake.
“The WHO was requested to work on kava safety evaluations as soon as possible by collecting detailed information from all available sources on case reports and specifications of products used in the corresponding cases. The WHO was further requested to review any other information relating to kava safety/toxicity and, to communicate the review findings to its member countries.
Now that the WHO has confirmed that Kava is Safe, Tonga and members of the regional and International Kava Council awaits the lifting of the ban by the European markets.
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29-06-2007, 01:49
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