Ban on ancient 'superfood' divides growers and regulators

Australian Moringa oleifera growers are unsure whether they will able to sell their product after the next harvest.

Moringa cannot be sold as a food or food ingredient after Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) ruled in November 2025 that it was unable to establish that it was safe for human consumption.

Somerset region grower Gary Duffy is leading an appeal to reverse the decision.

"Our livelihood relies on the application being successful,"

he said.

Parts of Moringa oleifera, or drumstick tree, are used in Eastern recipes and in health supplements.

The FSANZ ruling applies to the leaves, immature pods and oils of the plant, which can now be destroyed at the Australian border or re-exported.

However, therapeutic products or supplements that contain moringa, such as capsules and powders, will remain available for purchase only if they are registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration [TGA].

Mr Duffy has written to federal, state and territory health ministers to seek a stay on the determination while FSANZ assesses his appeal.

"Fresh product going into the Melbourne and Sydney markets was all imported from overseas, and we [Australian growers] want to try to bridge that gap," he said.

A spokesperson from the federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing said the rejection was not open to FSANZ or the minister to review or suspend and advised Mr Duffy that a new application would be welcomed.

A decision on his new application could take up to two years.

Wide Bay grower Joel Molloy hopes there will be an outcome sooner rather than later.

He was involved in the industry for 10 years before relocating from the Gold Coast to Rosedale, five hours' drive north of Brisbane, to establish his own farm.

He bought the property just before FSANZ handed down its decision.

"I invested everything I had into this farm, and it's 10 years of work, and then just overnight it's gone," Mr Molloy said.

"It's a kick in the guts.

"We were never consulted; we were never warned."

The ban

FSANZ's decision was in response to an application in January 2024 from Noosa Organica Pty Ltd to amend the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code to list Moringa oleifera as a food or food ingredient.

After reviewing the application and external studies, the statutory body handed down its decision in November 2025.

FSANZ's assessment raised concerns about the reproductive effects noted in mice and conflicting results around genotoxicity.

In its rejection report, FSANZ noted that information in the application or peer-reviewed literature concerning the safety of the seed pods or oil was limited.

"The decision reinforces that robust high-quality scientific evidence is required when seeking approval for novel foods," a spokesperson said.

The authority added it could not determine a safe level of exposure without further human studies.

Food industry consultant Courtney Stewart said that was standard procedure for foods not widely available in Australia.

"There might be ingredients that people wish were on the market, but FSANZ is just looking out for consumers to make sure everything is safe for consumption," she said.

"Until there is historical data to show something is safe over the long term, then they won't approve anything, and I think that's a good conservative approach until we have that information."

Cultural significance

Parts of the plant have been used in Asia, Africa and the Middle East for centuries.

University of New England biomedical science senior lecturer Vandana Gulati has researched medicinal plants for more than 20 years and said moringa's various uses made it unique.

"[Oil extracted from the seeds] contains many phytochemicals that have really good activities for infections, fever and for skin health," she said.

"[In Indian culture] we use the leaves to make curries and the seed pods, which are known as the drumstick, are also used in cooking."

Dr Gulati said the culture traditionally considered the plant a "superfood" because every part had a benefit, but she understood the safety concerns for people who did not regularly consume Moringa oleifera.

Email address