People continue to raise concerns over the sale of adulterated kava where kava is mixed with other substances, and the Consumer Council of Fiji says with consultations on the proposed Kava Bill underway, stronger enforcement measures are needed, including fines and license blacklisting for those found adulterating kava.
This follows the recent warning issued by the Ministry of Agriculture regarding compromised kava quality.
Council CEO, Seema Shandil says there needs to be a strong set of penalties in place to deter businesses from engaging in these practices.
The Ministry has highlighted cases where cooking products, including flour, have been mixed with kava, particularly for export, risking Fiji’s reputation in the global market.
fijivillage News has also received reports of bleach products being used in parts of Vanua Levu to clean the kava which is then sold to people.
Just two weeks ago, the Consumer Council of Fiji received a complaint against a kava dealer in the Suva Municipal Market.
The complainant was a small business owner from Beqa who only discovered the issue after having resold the product to his customers.
She claimed that the kava was very powdery, and a white sediment settled at the bottom after mixing with water.
Following the complaint, the Council conducted its own investigation, comparing the product with a few other kava samples.
Clear differences could be observed in appearance and smell.
While the other kava samples that were used as a control, produced a light brown colour consistent with the usual colour of kava, the suspected product was pale and grey, with visible white powder and black specks, indicating it had likely been mixed with another substance.
Shandil says this is not an isolated incident as the Council has received numerous complaints in the past, including from international consumers, about kava that was dubious in appearance, odour and taste.
She says they fully support the Ministry’s call for farmers, traders, and exporters to maintain strict quality standards.
Consumers are advised to purchase kava from reputable vendors and report any suspicious products to the Consumer Council via its toll-free National Consumer Helpline 155.
She stresses that the new legislation must send a clear message that adulteration will not be tolerated.
