CLAIMS by an organisation calling itself the International Kava Organization that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recognised “traditionally prepared kava beverage made solely from kava roots and water as food” in the United States has ignited optimism across all manners of kava production around the world.
For the kava-based Australian listed The Calmer Co. International Ltd (ASX:CCO), whose products have become popular in online stores, the news has been welcomed with open arms.
In a statement on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), CCO said the FDA “clarification” provided significant regulatory certainty for the global kava industry and directly enhanced the company’s strategic position in the US.
“Today’s announcement by the FDA confirming traditionally prepared kava as food under US federal law is a landmark development for our industry and a major strategic win for The Calmer Co.,” founder and chief executive officer Zane Yoshida said.
“This new clarity strengthens our entire US portfolio. Our Fiji Kava® drinking powders now benefit from a clearly defined food pathway, while our Taki Mai® flavoured shots, tinctures and capsules continue to grow strongly as dietary supplements. These products utilise ingredients that are manufactured to US cGMP supplement standards in our FDA-registered and audited facility in Fiji, a level of compliance that very few kava producers globally can match.”
Mr Yoshida said with more than 21 million Americans now consuming kava, “the FDA ruling” further validated the company’s strategy and unlocked additional growth opportunities across retail, eCommerce and B2B partnerships. Fiji Kava®, he added, remained the number-one branded kava product on Amazon USA, and Taki Mai® continued to be one of the fastest-growing supplement brands in the category.
Kava as a food product mixed with water was officially recognised as a CODEX standard by the Codex Alimentarius Commission in 2020 for its North America and South West Pacific region, which includes the US.
However, the US FDA has not officially declared its recognition of this in the United States.
According to the International Kava Organization, who has made the claims through its press statement this week, the “federal confirmation” were “issued through multiple FDA case responses”, which it said “has already guided the State of Hawaii and the State of Michigan, with additional states now reviewing the same evidence, to determine that the kava beverage qualifies as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) based on its extensive history of safe, cultural use”.
“For Pacific Island communities, including Native Hawaiians whose cultural practices, ceremonies, and community life have been intertwined with kava for generations, the people of American Samoa, and the many Fijian, Tongan, and other Pacific Islander families throughout the United States, this acknowledgment carries profound significance.
“It affirms the deep cultural legacy of kava, strengthens recognition of Pacific Islander heritage in the United States, and honors a cultural food that is now finding an increasingly meaningful place in modern American life,” it stated.
Comments are being sought from the USFDA.
