Investigation topic 3: The chemistry of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ practices
Throughout history, people all over the world have hypothesised, experimented, made empirical observations, gathered evidence, recognised patterns, verified through repetition, and made inferences and predictions to help them to make sense of the world around them and their place within it. Recent research and discussion have confirmed many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups use the environment and its resources to solve the challenges they face in the different Australian climates in ways that are more sustainable than similar materials produced in Western society. Their solutions can be explained by a variety of organic and non-organic chemical processes.
Questions that may be explored in this investigation include:
· Kakadu plums have long been a component of Aboriginal and Torres Islander Peoples diets. What active ingredients do they contain that may make them a ‘super food’
Kakadu Plums - what are they?
Background info on Kakadu Plums
Hess-Buschmann, S. (n.d.). Kakadu%20Plum | Australian Native Food and Botanicals. Anfab.org.au. https://anfab.org.au/main.asp?_=Kakadu%20Plum
Academic Literature about Kakadu Plums
Native Titie: The mid 2000s saw an international patent application for Kakadu plum extract by cosmetics giant Mary Kay; the American company had been adding it to their TimeWise range as a skin-repairing antioxidant. Producing frozen Kakadu plums and a powder, Torres's company is a member of the Northern Australia Aboriginal Kakadu Plum Alliance (NAAKPA) - a consortium of Aboriginal-owned enterprises that are ethically harvesting and processing Kakadu plums. Launched in 2018 by the Indigenous Land & Sea Corporation, NAAKPA funds and supports the development of an Aboriginal-led Kakadu plum industry with an eye on connecting suppliers directly with buyers to ensure transparency
WOOD, A. (2021). Native Title. Australian Gourmet Traveller, 62–65.
Nutritional Characters of Native Australian Fruits
Nutritional Characteristics of Native Australian Fruits : Kakadu Plum
Netzel, M. (2018). Nutritional Characteristics of Native Australian Fruits: Kakadu Plum and Green Plum as Examples. Nutridate, 29(3), 8–12.
Phan, A. D. T., Adiamo, O., Akter, S., Netzel, M. E., Cozzolino, D., & Sultanbawa, Y. (2021). Effects of drying methods and maltodextrin on vitamin C and quality of Terminalia ferdinandiana fruit powder, an emerging Australian functional food ingredient. Journal of the Science of Food & Agriculture, 101(12), 5132–5141. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.11159
History of the Kakadu Plum
Kakadu plum. (Kimberley Wild Gubinge)
Kakadu plum. (2017). Parksaustralia.gov.au. https://parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/discover/nature/plants/kakadu-plum/
