100x more vitamin C: Native foods step up fight against chronic disease

Key points

Indigenous communities and researchers have developed a low-sugar Kakadu plum drink to help combat chronic disease.
The project promotes the return of native ingredients to Australian diets and supports Indigenous enterprise.
The aim is global sales while providing the drink back to Indigenous communities at little or no cost.

A uniquely Australian drink has the potential to address chronic health conditions in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Concerned about rates of chronic kidney disease and Type 2 diabetes, Indigenous communities worked with University of Queensland researchers to develop a lower-sugar alternative to soft drinks.

The medicinal properties of the beverage's hero ingredient, Kakadu plum, which contains up to 100 times more vitamin C than oranges, have been known and harnessed by Indigenous people for thousands of years.

The drink was developed in partnership with Bushtukka and Botanicals Indigenous Enterprise Cooperative, which is investigating ways to get the product to market.

"This drink, was designed so they could have a really healthy but flavoursome alternative to other soft drinks," cooperative director Madonna Thompson told said.

"This is just another type of contemporary medium to enjoy this culturally important fruit."

University of Queensland researcher Jess Cartwright during the development of the Kakadu plum drink. Credit: AAP

Bringing back native ingredients

University of Queensland researcher Jess Cartwright said her research highlights the importance of reintegrating native ingredients back into Australian diets.

"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," she said.

"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."

Ms Thompson said for the communities of northern Australia where Kakadu plum is found, it's also a matter of pride to share this fruit.

"Hopefully it will inspire the youth in those communities to want to learn more about the development of food and food products in modern Australia, using native ingredients," she said.

As the product makes its way to market, Ms Thompson said the vision is while the beverage can be sold worldwide, the formulation can go back to Indigenous communities for very low or no cost.