Native ‘wonder fruit’ inspires new low-sugar beverage for health and cultural connection
University of Queensland researchers have created a low-sugar beverage using Australian native Kakadu plum.
(Photo credit: The University of Queensland. )
Key points
- A new low-sugar beverage featuring Kakadu plum has been created to promote healthier options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- The Australian native ingredient is renowned for its exceptional vitamin C content, containing up to 100 times more than oranges.
- It’s envisioned the beverage will be sold worldwide, with the original formulated drink to go back to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities at a low or no cost.
A new low-sugar beverage featuring Australian native Kakadu plum has been developed, combining Indigenous knowledge with modern innovation to promote wellbeing and healthier options for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Kakadu plum is renowned for its exceptional vitamin C content (up to 100 times more than oranges) and its long-standing role in Indigenous food traditions.
Drawing on this powerful native ingredient, University of Queensland researchers created a drink that celebrates its nutritional benefits and cultural significance.
Dr Jess Cartwright from UQ’s School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have valued the medicinal properties of Kakadu plum for thousands of years and that historical and systemic factors have shifted away from traditional dietary practices.
Dr Jess Cartright’s research highlights why native ingredients need to be reintegrated into Australian diets.
(Photo credit: The University of Queensland.)
“These changes have impacted health outcomes across Indigenous communities, with research showing higher daily sugar intake compared to national averages, which is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease,” Dr Cartwright said.
“Our food system was originally built off Indigenous Australian bushfood, but colonisation, urbanisation and globalisation now mean we have a diet far removed from these traditional foods.
“My research highlights how and why we need to reintegrate native ingredients back into Australian diets.
“We wanted to create a drink that not only addresses nutrition-related chronic disease rates but also empowers communities to build enterprise from native ingredients and strengthen connection to Country.
“Our sensory testing has also shown it is enjoyed by most consumers to a similar degree as a regular soft drink.
“This is really promising as we know taste is a major driver in soft drink consumption.”
The low-sugar beverage also uses components of Davidson plum, which is native to Queensland and New South Wales rainforests.
It was developed in partnership with Bushtukka and Botanicals Indigenous Enterprise Cooperative (BBIEC).
BBIEC director Madonna Thomson, who is investigating ways to get the product to market, said the drink would be 100 per cent Indigenous owned and manufactured.
“This is a drink that is low in sugar, great in taste, with highly nutritional ingredients that are uniquely Australian,” Ms Thomson said.
“We want to address the over-representation of health conditions including chronic kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes within Indigenous communities which is largely due to consuming high amounts of soft drinks that are high in sugar and other chemicals.
“Our vision is that variations of this product will be sold worldwide, while the original formulated drink will go back to Aboriginal communities for very low or no cost.”
Dr Cartwright said the project has been a fulfilling experience, and one of self-discovery.
“As a non-Indigenous researcher working in this space, I have spent the past 4 years listening to stories about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and this has really shown me just how much we have to learn.”
Dr Cartwright’s research can be found here.
Collaboration and acknowledgements
This research was conducted by the Australian Research Council Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods and supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA), The University of Queensland, the Australian Government through a Research Training Program Scholarship and the Department of Primary Industries.The authors acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which the Kakadu Plum and Davidson Plum were harvested and respect the knowledge and experience that the Traditional Owners hold regarding the care, harvest, and use of these plants.
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