Report highlights production potential for lemon myrtle

A report on Australian lemon myrtle has unveiled the native plant’s potential to drive a range of product development opportunities for food and beverage companies.

The report, ‘Discovering Lemon Myrtle’, researched the functional properties and biological efficacy for commercial use.

The research found that lemon myrtle plants, which are endemic to Australia’s north-eastern coast, boast potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and have been found to reduce a range of cancers.

The plants are harvested for their lemon myrtle leaves, which release a strong, fresh lemon scent when crushed. The extracts are often used in tea blends for their sweet citrus scent, which contains aromatics.

Lemon myrtle has also been used by Indigenous peoples in cuisine and as medicine for thousands of years.

Native ingredients producer Australian Native Products (ANP) has announced plans for future investment in lemon myrtle, to establish more robust scientific research on its health benefits.

ANP founder Gary Mazzorana said the company is keen to look at lemon myrtle’s potential health benefits in food and beverage products, along with improvements to agronomic practices to guarantee quality and quantity of supply.

“Australian natives are experiencing a major boom right now — consumers are trying native ingredients at restaurants and are surprised by their magical flavours,” Mazzorana said.

“More and more, product developers are looking at ways to incorporate Australian native plant flavours into their offerings as a point of difference.”

A full copy of the report can be found here. 

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/mdb