Well-known Pacific cultural drink, kava, has officially been recognised as a drink and not a just a drug, but only when mixed with water.
The international body which sets global food standards, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, established a standard for kava as a beverage last month and as a result its demand is expected to increase across the world.
Kava is a bitter drink that numbs the mouth and has long been consumed in Pacific nations like Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu for generations.
Dr Apo Aporosa from The University of Waikato is an expert in kava, and he joined The Panel to discuss the drink and its recognition by international body.
