WHO to Investigate Ban on Kava Herb
Recently, the National Assembly of Wales voted to reverse a ban on the sale of a herb (Kava Kava), a root with relaxing, anti-depressive properties, which had been banned in serveral European and some non-European countries after adverse reaction reports linked the herb to some cases of liver damage. Apparently, the evidence proving the links was never fully made available and has been challenged by the sellers of the herb.
The NAHS, association of health food and herbal stores in the UK, has taken legal action to force revision of the restrictions on Kava sales, and is waiting for a court ruling. Meanwhile they point out that several European countries have banned Kava Kava without notifying the European Commission in accordance with European directive 98/34 and that these bans are therefore illegal under EU law.
The World Health Organisation seems to have doubts about the legality of taking the herb off the market and they have initiated an investigation and possible re-evaluation of the safety of the herb by two of its own Pharmacovigilance Centers.
Whether this WHO intervention, after reviewing all the safety data, will give Kava Kava a clean bill of health is yet uncertain. Equally uncertain is whether eventually Kava Kava will be made available again as a food supplement, or whether the herb will be sold as a medicine only.
See also:
Kava regains shelf space in Wales
Cropwatch: Kava-kava: Bans to be Reconsidered
VANUATU: Heading Up Lobby On International Kava Standards
Friday: May 26, 2006
Vanuatu kava stakeholders have unanimously agreed to lead the lobby for improved quality of the product, locally and internationally, Port Vila Presse reports. This is based on the many kava varieties in Vanuatu compared to Fiji, Tonga, Papua New Guinea and the French territory of Wallis and Futuna. At a meeting in Port Vila, organised by the department of quarantine, it was explained to kava traders that it was now time to introduce kava on the Codex Alimentarus rules.
posted by Sepp Hasslberger on Friday December 5 2003
updated on Wednesday December 8 2010URL of this article:
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2003/12/05/who_to_investigate_ban_on_kava_herb.htm
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