The bacterial content in kava.
Today’s fact of the day will be covering the typical bacteria content in fresh kava. We see questions such as “How long is my prepared kava good if it’s left out at room temperature?” and “how long does kava stay good in the refrigerator?” There is unfounded thought that kava itself is antimicrobial. It is becoming clear, however, that this is not the case.
In 2009 researchers set out to identify the types of bacteria found in fresh kava, specifically they used DNA sequencing to find the closest match to the bacterial DNA they found in the kava [1]. Table 3 below gives the results of this study in relation to the types of bacteria found in fresh Hawaiian kava. It’s important to stress here that this is a list of all types found, not amounts.
As you can see, kava is a source of quite a wide range of bacteria. These bacteria are normally found in the soil and it makes sense that we’re finding them in a product which was produced and removed from that very soil. These bacteria are important to plant growth and promote nitrogen fixing to the roots [2]. Of the bacterium listed, there are pathogenic and non-pathogenic types [3]. We, as well as kava vendors, and exporters themselves keep an eye on these pathogenic types of bacteria. Attached is a blank COA result showing the types of bacteria normally checked for during a routine kava analysis.
Pathogenic bacteria are accounted for in kavas, however it doesn’t mean the amount is zero, just as with any natural product. When kava is reconstituted (mixed with water), these bacteria become viable, and begin multiplying. With a food product, at room temperature, some unsafe bacteria is said to double every 20 minutes [4] . It is only a matter of time before these levels reach an unsafe amount. While there is always room for discussion, a safe rule of thumb is to never leave kava out at room temperature for more than half a day. Sour flavor tends to develop after this time frame and you begin to approach possibly unsafe levels of some types of pathogenic bacteria.
For refrigerated prepared kava a time frame of 2-3 days is generally seen before the sour flavor develops; however the bacterial content will be much lower due to the reduced temperatures.
Summary: If you want to keep your prepared kava, put it in a container and keep it in the fridge. If you haven’t consumed it in 3 days, it’s time to make more.
[1] Kandukuru, P., A. S. Huang, J. Dong, H. C. Bittenbender, and Y. Li. 2009. “Rapid Identification of Bacterial Isolates from Aqueous Kava (Piper Methysticum) Extracts by Polymerase Chain Reaction and DNA Sequencing.” Letters in Applied Microbiology 49 (6): 764–68.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2009.02739.x.
https://sci-hub.st/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2009.02739.x
[2] Hayat, Rifat, Safdar Ali, Ummay Amara, Rabia Khalid, and Iftikhar Ahmed. 2010. “Soil Beneficial Bacteria and Their Role in Plant Growth Promotion: A Review.” Annals of Microbiology 60 (4): 579–98.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13213-010-0117-1.
https://sci-hub.st/10.1007/s13213-010-0117-1
[3] Pigłowski, Marcin. 2019. “Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Microorganisms in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16 (3).
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030477.
[4] Bacteria—Growth of bacterial populations. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 24, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/science/bacteria
Today’s fact of the day will be covering the typical bacteria content in fresh kava. We see questions such as “How long is my prepared kava good if it’s left out at room temperature?” and “how long does kava stay good in the refrigerator?” There is unfounded thought that kava itself is antimicrobial. It is becoming clear, however, that this is not the case.
In 2009 researchers set out to identify the types of bacteria found in fresh kava, specifically they used DNA sequencing to find the closest match to the bacterial DNA they found in the kava [1]. Table 3 below gives the results of this study in relation to the types of bacteria found in fresh Hawaiian kava. It’s important to stress here that this is a list of all types found, not amounts.
Pathogenic bacteria are accounted for in kavas, however it doesn’t mean the amount is zero, just as with any natural product. When kava is reconstituted (mixed with water), these bacteria become viable, and begin multiplying. With a food product, at room temperature, some unsafe bacteria is said to double every 20 minutes [4] . It is only a matter of time before these levels reach an unsafe amount. While there is always room for discussion, a safe rule of thumb is to never leave kava out at room temperature for more than half a day. Sour flavor tends to develop after this time frame and you begin to approach possibly unsafe levels of some types of pathogenic bacteria.
For refrigerated prepared kava a time frame of 2-3 days is generally seen before the sour flavor develops; however the bacterial content will be much lower due to the reduced temperatures.
Summary: If you want to keep your prepared kava, put it in a container and keep it in the fridge. If you haven’t consumed it in 3 days, it’s time to make more.
[1] Kandukuru, P., A. S. Huang, J. Dong, H. C. Bittenbender, and Y. Li. 2009. “Rapid Identification of Bacterial Isolates from Aqueous Kava (Piper Methysticum) Extracts by Polymerase Chain Reaction and DNA Sequencing.” Letters in Applied Microbiology 49 (6): 764–68.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2009.02739.x.
https://sci-hub.st/10.1111/j.1472-765X.2009.02739.x
[2] Hayat, Rifat, Safdar Ali, Ummay Amara, Rabia Khalid, and Iftikhar Ahmed. 2010. “Soil Beneficial Bacteria and Their Role in Plant Growth Promotion: A Review.” Annals of Microbiology 60 (4): 579–98.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13213-010-0117-1.
https://sci-hub.st/10.1007/s13213-010-0117-1
[3] Pigłowski, Marcin. 2019. “Pathogenic and Non-Pathogenic Microorganisms in the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16 (3).
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030477.
[4] Bacteria—Growth of bacterial populations. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 24, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/science/bacteria
