Australian native foods such as lemon myrtle and mountain pepper could be gracing more international menus if the industry develops detailed product information to meet national and international regulations and support market growth.

That is the message being delivered by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) as the industry gathers for the Native Food Summit in Melbourne next week.

RIRDC’s Project Manager for Native Foods, Alison Saunders, said the development and supply of product information to regulators and consumers would be the number one priority under the industry’s new five-year Research and Development Plan.

“Native foods such as lemon myrtle, bush tomatoes and mountain pepper have been used by aboriginal Australians for tens of thousands of years but if the industry is to succeed it will need to develop new markets among the broader community and overseas,” Ms Saunders said.

“Part of that market development will entail satisfying national and international food regulations, education about native food characteristics, nutritional and toxicity information and storage and shelf life along the supply chain.

“It will also require investigation into - and promotion of - health benefits, aroma and flavour profiles and standardised native food naming.

“RIRDC has just published the results of a seven year trial of the cultivation and harvesting of native foods in south east Australia, which demonstrates that foods like native limes, quandongs and riberries can be grown commercially in several locations.

“As part of this report, we have produced a series of information sheets on the key native foods which can be used to help educate growers and potential growers about market requirements and post-harvest handling.

“They will also be an important tool for educating consumers about native foods – what they are, what they look like and most importantly, what they taste like.

“As the industry gathers in Melbourne it is important that it looks to the future and how it will address the challenges ahead.  R&D will clearly be vital,” Ms Saunders said.

A Native Food Showcase will be held at Federation Square in Melbourne on Sunday, followed by the industry summit on Monday.

Copies of the new Native Foods 5-year R&D Plan and the report “Cultivation and Harvest Quality of Native Food Crops” are available from RIRDC at www.rirdc.gov.au (go to “What’s New”) or by calling (02) 6271 4160.

Media enquiries:
Danny O’Brien – RIRDC Communications Manager – 02 6271 4175 or 0438 130 445