The Codex Committee of North America and the South West Pacific (CCNASWP) has once again successfully secured the endorsement of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) for the adoption of its Regional Standard for Fermented Noni Fruit Juice. This marks the second regional standard to receive the approval of the CAC within the region, with the first being the Regional Standard for Kava Products Intended for Use as a Beverage when Mixed with Water.

Representatives from Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, and Vanuatu were present to shepherd the standard through the Codex process on Tuesday 28 November 2023. Despite ongoing debates surrounding the safety levels of Scopoletin in noni, all CCNASWP members stood united in their efforts to ensure the final adoption of the document.

The region expresses gratitude to Samoa and Tonga for spearheading this initiative, with the invaluable assistance of New Zealand, Australia, along with the other noni growing Pacific Island nations and the PHAMA Plus program.

Timothy Tumukon, the CEO of Vanuatu Primary Producers Authority, remarked, "We now have a benchmark against which we can address food safety concerns when preparing fermented noni fruit juice for the market."

Pacific Islands delegation at the CAC46 from L – R: Lyndon Pulotu (Samoa), Tekon Timothy Tumukon (Vanuatu), Andrew Tukana (Fiji), Elias John (PNG), and Emily Tumukon (Vanuatu).