The Kava
Library
Kava Test Results
How to Read the Test Results from True Kava
The article recently posted by True Kava about kava testing was both interesting and educational. One of the missions of The Kava Library is to educate the consumers so they can buy the safest and most noble kava possible. To that end, I want to take a moment to summarize the discussion on Noble kava versus Tudei kava and to explain the meaning of the test results from True Kava.
Why is Kava Testing Necesssary
First off, we have always suspected that the kava farmers and wholesalers outside of the United States were blending their Noble Kava with Tudei Kava. There is nothing wrong with doing this if you tell the buyer. But they don’t tell the buyer. Truth in Advertising is important when you put something into your body and this was sorely lacking from the suppliers. So True Kava started testing kava and posting the results so that kava consumers would know what was in the kava they were buying. That being said, there are some kava drinkers who like Tudei kava and they have their reasons. We have no quarrel with them because they know what they are buying and they like it.
There are resellers here in the states who claim that their kava is not blended and they don’t think this is a problem. Well it is a problem. Recently, Mike at Kalm with Kava came right out on the kava forums and posted: “ I'd like to add that we have sourced over 14 different Kavas in the last year to offer for sale with only 3 making the cut ...”. So it is a huge problem when only 3 out of 14 farmers were offering unadulterated kava. Kudos to Mike for spending the time and money to insure that the kava he sells is Noble kava. It shows he cares about his customers.
So why do the farmers blend their Noble kava with Tudei Kava? It’s simple economics. The Tudei kava is disease free, easy to grow, it’s larger, and it yields more kava. It requires a minimum of care and maintenance and so it is very easy and inexpensive to grow. In fact, it thrives in the wild. So even though the kava farmers and their families do not drink Tudie kava, they happily mix it with their Noble kava and export it to the rest of the world. It is easy for the resellers in the states to turn a blind eye to the problem because they are getting a good price on the kava and selling it at a very competitive price.
Now compare this to Noble kava grown in Hawaii. It is made in the U.S.A. so that means higher wages, more rules and regulations, safe farming techniques, land costs, kava testing, and safe packaging. This all translates into a higher price for a quality product. So the playing field is leveled when the kavas are tested and we find out the reason for the price discrepancies.
Reading the Kava Test Results
So back to the Test Results at True Kava and what they mean. If you look at the chart, it has a column for Source, Date, Vendor Name, and domWL (color reading). Any kava with the yellow reading lacks the Tudei molecule and is deemed Noble. So you can see when the color turns orange, that is where adulteration is likely. The range of readings in that category is 578.6 to 581 To test their science, True Kava took pure Noble kava from the farms at Gourmet Hawaiian Kava and deliberately adulterated it with 25% Tudei. As you can see on the chart, the adulterated kava scored 578.6. These intentionally adulterated samples provided proof that the test results were working. So as you go down the chart, the kavas become more adulterated, more orange, and less noble.
Before I discuss the test results, I wish to state that True Kava uses the acetone test as one indicator of kava nobility. This test was developed by Dr. Vincent Lebot, and is also used by the Vanuatu Ministry of Trade. Through an approved refinement of this test, True Kava is able to detect adulteration of noble kava with two day kava. This test is currently under research in Vanuatu, with the goal of providing a simple, standardized method of evaluating kava outside the laboratory that growers and vendors can use to ensure quality products. So as you can see, this is serious science. So when True Kava released the test results, there was an outcry from the vendors claiming the results were false and that the technique used was “bad science”. Over time, we noticed that some members of the kava forums were complaining about nausea and kava hangovers from consuming the bottom dwelling kavas. The side effects went away when they started drinking from the top of the testing chart. So it if tests like a duck, has side effects like a duck, then it’s a duck.
You will also notice that True Kava has assigned batch numbers and dates to each sample. The testers did so in the hopes that the vendors would apply pressure to the suppliers which would result in them selling unblended kava in the future. At that point in the future, the vendor should score a Noble test reading. The testers will be happy, the vendor will be happy, and we (the consumers) will be absolutely thrilled.
