When it comes to drinking only noble kava, we may have set a mark that is difficult to hit right now. What follows covers two topics: the development of my test methods, and the current Vanuatu kava situation in general. It's a long read, but it's information that everyone should be aware of, so please take the time.
When we got word from Dr Lebot via Andrew that tuday should not be consumed, there was a general assumption that all kava we received was either noble or not. There was little conversation about adulteration, and everyone was merrily testing and posting, declaring various kavas to be yellow or orange, with no real surprises other than the Koniak incident.
I began to develop my methodology based on the same assumption, that kava was either noble or it wasn't. I began by testing known tuday (HKC Tuday, Hawaiian ISA) and assumed known noble (Melo Melo & Boroguru). I selected a visible light range of 580-630nm (medium yellow/red) as the area of interest, and established a standard for the slope in that area of the transmittance spectra. This standard was the basis for the information in my "Test Results" thread beginning June 16.
With all samples tested, I ordered some kava from GHK to test (and drink!). This was the real beginning of the revelation; this kava tested a world apart from all previous tests. Much lighter yellow, and a very distinctive spectra. At first I thought this must be a trait of Hawaiian kava, so I asked Dr Lebot about it. He stated that all noble should test about the same regardless of origin. We traded photos, and he suggested that spiking with tuday might be the issue. Since GHK kava was the source of the revelation, I started conversing with Chris - and he was not too surprised. His understanding was that adulteration was fairly common in Vanuatu kava, and this was probably what I was finding. In other words, my assumed noble standard might not be as noble as I thought. I then ordered GHK Boroguru and Qili Leka Fiji, and they tested quite well also.
Though I had considered adulteration before, I viewed it as a side project. I had a theory about how to detect it, and began intentional adulteration tests. The addition of tuday to noble doesn't affect the 580-630nm range a lot, but it does have a marked effect on the lower scale (green/light yellow). I recalculated all previous data using 500-630nm as a standard, and a clear pattern emerged. Since my prior tests used very little kava, I had plenty left over for further tests. I retested all original samples plus a wide selection of GHK, including Hawaiian, Vanuatu, and Fiji cultivars. Compiling this data along with that from numerous intentionally adulterated samples, I now had three quite distinct categories: noble, adulterated, and tuday.
Many more conversations followed, my revised methodology was reviewed and confirmed, and I began to develop a much better picture of the kava situation in Vanuatu. My main source of information has been Dr. Lebot, but I have also contacted vendors and Vanuatu suppliers directly. All of the information lines up: Vanuatu kava is largely adulterated with tuday. It grows faster, it isn't subject to disease, and no one can visually tell the difference once it's harvested. Most suppliers never visit the farms they buy from, which are nearly always on a different island. The COA from Vanuatu is often misrepresented, and the Kava Act isn't well enforced. And just to give you a perspective, the Kava Act actually lists 12 Noble cultivars, 79 Medicinal cultivars, and 126 Tuday cultivars - so there's a lot of temptation out there.
Though this has been going on for a long time I suspect it will get worse, at least for a while. Farmers in Vanuatu know that the Kava Act may soon be better enforced, and awareness of the noble vs tuday controversy is increasing among consumers. It's likely that many farmers are harvesting and selling large amounts of tuday/isa, fearing that it may soon become worthless.
The net result is that much of what we assume to be noble kava is not pure. When adulteration is present, it is generally 25% or less. While certainly not desirable, this isn't a cause for major alarm to all - but it is something all should be aware of.
I can't over-emphasize this point: Our vendors are not to blame. Some may be aware of the issue to varying degrees, but to the best of my knowledge there are none who claim their kava is noble while knowing for certain it isn't. We're all in the same boat here, so please understand I'm not pointing the finger at anyone.
Also understand that I really don't have a horse in this race. I'm a strong advocate for noble kava, but I have no reason to malign anyone's product. I'm not a vendor, I receive no favors from any vendor, I just report it like I see it. I'm a very vocal and active advocate of kava, and I want it to remain safe and legal because I know it can be of great benefit to many. To this end, I take the recommendations of Dr. Lebot very seriously. I know some disagree, but this is my position and my motivation.
I've not been in the habit of quoting emails, but I will make two exceptions, just to add some authenticity to my statements:
8/4/2014
Dr. Lebot,
I've run into a puzzling issue in my testing. Known tudei is obvious in color and spectra, with a definite red coloration and sharp slope, and what I am assuming to be noble Vanuatu kava is lighter shades of yellow, occasionally with some very slight red, and a medium slope.
But all Hawaiian grown cultivars I have tested - along with only one Vanuatu sample - are extremely light yellow, with a very shallow slope...
Is this simply a characteristic of Hawaiian kava, or is it possible that many of the Vanuatu products we receive in the USA are adulterated to some degree?
Dear Garry,
Yes, different varieties are mixed in bags and adulteration is frequent, it varies from batch to batch, this is common on the local market here. In a bag of "noble", you will have roots of two days etc....
The consequence is that they can be ground together and mixed.
Hawaiian cultivars should be light yellow, and so should be nobles from vanuatu, unless they have been mixed with other.
8/11/2014
Dr. Lebot,
VRRP Ltd is the supplier of the (edited) and (edited) which tests as adulterated, as well as the instant kava we spoke of earlier. This is also the company that supplies (edited) in the US. Is it possible his supplier would ship kava containing tudei?
Dear Garry,
Yes it is possible. Please take a map: suppliers are based in Port Vila on Efate where kava is not cultivated, suppliers do not visit farmers and most of them cannot recognize the different varieties, they are traders. Farmers are cultivating kava in the outer islands and plant two day varieties because they grow faster, if traders ask them for noble kavas, farmers can lie, they do it frequently and nobody visit their farms. So it is possible that this supplier believes that he is shipping noble kava while he is shipping two day.
Though the situation looks a bit bleak for consumers and vendors right now, in the long run this will be good for kava. The German ban has been reversed, efforts are underway to have kava added to the Codex Alimentarius (and the US equivalent), Vanuatu is taking steps to ensure only noble kava is exported, and Dr. Lebot is moving forward in developing a universally accepted standard for colorimetric evaluation.
For our part, I encourage all consumers and vendors to perform the "simple test" on every batch of kava they receive. It's not foolproof, but it will positively identify all tuday, and most adulteration above 50%. An improved version of this test is in the works, and will be made available through the Forum soon. Additionally, I would be happy to test any kava for any member here, PM me for my address.
If we - as consumers and vendors - demand noble kava, it will happen.
Revised test results will be posted in another thread shortly. Meanwhile, I welcome your questions and comments.
Thank you,
Garry
or not, and if so, to what degree. I could blather lots more about it, but I hope you understand the point I'm trying to make and in no way is it my intent to belittle the extremely great stuff you are doing for us. Nor am I implying that what I ask for is all up to you to do. 
Of course I was going to steal all of Deleted User's data so I could write it. 
