CERES Nursery in Brunswick in Melbourne is holding a workshop on growing indigenous plants. I have been to CERES community environment part many times and enjoyed the odd cup of coffee there. It's a wonderful place to visit. CERES holds a huge range of workshops and this one in particular, I think, is well-worth attending.

Interested in growing indigenous plants and edible bush food plants?

This is an inspiring and informative workshop in which you will be immersed in the taste, texture and tantalising variety of our native food plants.

The teacher, Justin Caverley, is a landscape designer with 15 years experience in the horticulture industry. He has taught regular CERES workshops in organic gardening, fruit tree pruning, indigenous plants and Permaculture. Justin has extensive property design experience
and has also worked at the CERES Nursery. Justin is a regular broadcaster on 3RRR's "Dirty Deeds", and presenter on Ch 31's "The Garden Tap".

I'm not sure how many of you think about what you actually feed your dog or cat. 

Although I've always fed my dog scraps and a mixture of dog food and fresh food plus some dried food, it came home to me a while back when Barney wouldn't stop scratching.  I checked for fleas, but there wasn't any and it occurred to me that he had a little more dried food than he usually does.  Even though it was supposedly a quality one it's still got a lot of preservatives in it.  When I stopped the dried food and went onto raw and natural food the scratching stopped!  Havn't been back to it and he hasn't scratched. 

I was talking to a farmer from a cattle property who has a lot of kelpies, he was saying that a good dog used to last for 20 years, nowadays they go from 10 to 15 years because of the change in diet to tinned and dried food.  Interesting isn't it......I then had a talk to another acquaintance who trains dogs, has been with the army dogs and also trained police dogs, he said much the same as the farmer, also he felt that a lot of the cancers that dogs are now getting relate back to the prepared food that they are fed....keep the bulk of the food that you feed your dog fresh eg kangaroo, chicken necks etc.  Barney loves roo tails that I freeze (they have been chopped into sections) I give him one a couple of times a week, his teeth never get scale on them and since the dried food episode, no more scratching.  I must admit I also put some fresh garlic in with his food which is also good for their skin.  Good old kangaroo meat, raw, low in fat and the dogs love it.  Go to your butcher and check out what they've got, ask what's in it.  It's better a pay a bit more, your dog will require less and mix it with vegetables, rice, cereal whatever....it's not only better for your pet, but also much cheaper.

Everything in Melbourne now seems to be either in bud, blossom or about to shoot...Spring is a great time of the year.  Time to get out in the garden and start gardening and time to consider your bush food garden.  There are three methods used for propogating most plants, either start by planting seedlings, use cuttings or dividing plants or else by grafting.

Unless you have cuttings in your garden or are dividing existing plants or share with friends seeds are the cheapest way to get plants.  You often create the most hardy plants as they are grown from the start in your garden and weather to your garden's individual specifications.  If using rainforest plants  plant them as soon as you can, as they often won't germinate if left in storage for long periods of time.  For temperate and alpine plants store in the refridgerator or similar cool, wet temperatue for weeks to simulate winter or else plant at the beinning of winter to germinate in the Spring.  Scratch the hard-coated seeds eg wattles to stimulate germination.

Something like Native Thyme (Ocimum tenuiflorum), pictured, are great seeds for your garden, grows from arid to tropical, it is common throughout Australia, plant in full/part-sun, provide a little extra water to get started but is drought tolerant once established.

Leaves of the Native Thyme can be used in salads, sauces and soups.  Leaves can be used fresh or dried, they make a refreshing tea.

I had an unusual request a few weeks back, Rachel Sims a student at the College of Fine Arts, University of New South Wales  was doing a design project on Bush Tucker, she asked for a lot of different seeds, herbs and spices to complete the work.  She kindly sent the finished project to me to take a look and I was blown away, it is fantastic. 

"The aim of the project to establish new behaviours and attitudes towards Australia's native cuisine. The intent is to educate urban dwellers, redirecting their practice and broadening their knowledge of native food consumption" quote from Rachel's project

After being involved in Aboriginal art and culture for many years it has been a bit of an uphill battle to get non indigenous Australians to take the time to reflect on the paintings or try bush food.  After seeing a project like Rachel's it really gives me much joy to realize that the message has not ony got thru as to the importance of this land and what it produces, but also, that the message is understood.

"The quintessence of the project is to objectify bush tucker being an essential part of urban and rural Australia" quote from Rachel's project

Art reflects the emotions of the people at the time, it always has and always will.....Australian Aboriginal Art is now recognized as a world-wide art movement and as Australians we embrace it in every way, from the gifts that we give to overseas visitors to large companies like Qantas and at events such as our Olympic Games, proudly displaying Aboriginal icons and motifs.

The bush food industry is still in it's early days, but I am hopeful that within the next few years each Australian kitchen cupboard will have some food that is a native to this land and be able to incorporate it into their own every-day cooking with confidence. 

Rachel has kindly let me put a link thru to her project, please take the time to reflect on it and enjoy, not only the work that she's put into it, but also the valuable message.

Project 'Bush Tucker Taste Tradition'

Also called Watery Rose Apple and Water Cherry, these small red, bell-shaped fruit are crunchy and acid-sweet.  I've just got some in from Atherton Tableland from the grower and I must admit I'm also looking forward to doing some cooking with them.  The tree can reach from 3 - 10 metres and has a short, crooked trunk branching close to the ground.  It's flowers are fragrant and are pale-yellow.  The tree is only suited to low altitudes in the tropics and areas where there is rainfall fairly well spaced throughout the year.

It is also known in Malaysia, Indonesia and India.  It is grown for its edible fruits, its hard wood; which is used to make tools  and also its bark which is said to have theraputic benefits.  A decoction of the astringent bark is a local application on thrush.

In Indonesia the water apple is loved by children who eat it to relieve thirst.  The fruits are sold in markets skewered onto bamboo sticks, also served in salads which can be a ceremonial dish for new mothers.

According to research done by RIRDC, (Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation)

The antioxidant activity of fresh and dried plant extracts of the Syzygium aqueum were studied using beta-carotene bleaching and the 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation assay. The percentage of antioxidant activity for all extract samples using both assays was between 58 and 80%. The fresh samples had higher antioxidant activity than the dried samples. The results of the beta-carotene bleaching assay were correlated (R(2) = 0.9849) with those of the ABTS assay.

A fungal disease know as Myrtle Rust was found on a property in north NSW in April 2010.   The NSW Department of Industry and Investment is leading the activities to supress the outbreak.  This potentially a very threatening problem and is classified as Category 1, meaning that if it is detected and reported it will be acted on straight away.

The fungus that causes Myrtle rust has not been found before in Australia. It belongs to a group of fungi known as the ‘guava rust complex’. Myrtle rust can affect plants belonging to the family Myrtaceae a large family which includes many Australian native species, such as Eucalyptus species.

The rust has been identified as Myrtle rust based on the host range seen so far in Australia and the structure of its spores. Information is continuing to be gathered on its host range under Australian environmental conditions through surveillance activities, and laboratory-based host testing of a range of important commercial and ecological species of Myrtaceae.

The fungus causes spots on leaves and stems that develop masses of orange to yellow powdery spores. The disease most often affects young shoots and the growing tips of plants causing leaves to become curled and distorted. More information, along with photographs of host plants can be found on the Department of Industry & Investment NSW website.

This myrtle rust could potentially have widesspread effect on the natural environment and also have a serious effect on the commercial aspects of the native flower industry.  The majority of sites found to have the rust are retail and commercial nurseries in NSW, but be beware....if you have a lemon myrtle tree please inspect it for potentail rust infectation, and if you do find something, don't break off the leaves and throw away report them

National Exotic Plant Pest Hotline for reporting sightings: 1800 084 881

State contacts:

• South Australia: 1300 666 010
• Tasmania: 03 6233 3352
• Western Australia: 08 9334 1800
• Victoria: 13 61 86
• Queensland: 13 25 23
• Northern Territory: 08 8999 2118
• NSW: contact the Quarantine Domestic Hotline 1800 084 881

Picture of the rust can be found on

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/myrtle-rust

This complex of diseases is native to South America and is also present in the USA (Florida and Hawaii) and Mexico. It is not known how this disease entered Australia, however, rust fungi produce microscopic spores which are easily carried on the wind, on people’s clothing or on goods that are shipped around the world.

Australian Aboriginal Bush Tucker - Bush Food

Australian Aboriginal Bush Tucker for thousands of years the aboriginal people have lived off the land, eating well when food was plentiful and conserving in times of drought.  This food is called bushfood or bushtucker it's our native cuisine.  Today bushfood is modern, contemporary and fun, it can be used in all our favourite recipes or create new and exciting ones.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, MAY 2012 BE SAFE, HAPPY AND HEALTHY

NEW ON SITE BUSHFRUIT PASTES,AND BUSHFOOD CURRIES AND RUBS (recipe inside pack)

Davidson's Plum can be used in the same way as blood plums when stewing fruits or jam making;  but remember they are a lot more tangy than blood plums with a high acidic taste.  You can also mix the two together and add sweetners to get the required taste.

A really quick and easy way to make JAM is with CSR's special jam sugar.....I usually buy it in my local IGA supermarket, it's in a brown coloured bag marked Jam Making Sugar.  Follow the instructions on the side of the packet, but in short it's equal parts fruit to sugar ie 1kg fruit to 1kg jam sugar, boil for 4 minutes and then bottle, it really is that easy.

Botanical name Davidsonia pruriens, Aboriginal name: Ooray.  Tim Low call's this plum "the Queen of Australian rainforest plums". 

The plum looks like a blood plum, but is very sour in taste. It has two flat seeds that are about the same size as the blood plum's.  It is a small, narrow rainforest tree.  The varieties found in North Queensland are different from those in Southern Queensland and Northern NSW.  The plums that Outback Chef sells are from Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland.  It is an importnt fruit in the modern bushfood industry.

According to research done by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) a division of the Australian Government

A high level of lutein, a carotenoil compound that plays an important role in eye health was detected in Davidson's Plum, possessing higher levels than avocado.  Lutein improves visual function and symptions in atrophic age-related macular degeneration this is the leading cause of vision loss in aging Western societies.  Lutein protects the retina from damage by inhibiting inflammation.

There is also relatively high antioxidant activity detected in the lipophilic fractions, which unlike hydrophilic antioxidants, which do not accumulate in the body and are excreted in urine, lipophilic antioxidants penetrate the lipoprotein cell membrane more easily and therefore reach a higher level of bioavailability.  The presence of anitoxidant compounds that are active in both the hydrophilic and the lipophilic environment, within the same food source, may provide more comprehensive protection for oxidative stress.  Subsequently this may result in higher levels of protection and possibly more pronounced health benefits.  In this aspect, Davidson's plum exceeds the quality of the Blueberry control and other traditionally consumed fruits.

for more information

The flesh of Davidson's plum has a high level of anthocyanins, a potent antioxidant with a range of health benefits. Anti-diabetic effects and reduction of obesity have been reported arising from their consumption.  A possible good source of a natural food colour with health-enhancing properties for a wide application in beverages and confectionery might be considered.

Cooking tips using Davidson's Plum

If you want to learn more about our environment and also the heritage of this wonderful park why don't you go on a Discovery Tour.  There are a variety of tours on offer that gives a "hands-on" environmental experience for school groups and people of any age.  From 1/2 day to a whole day you can learn to be a bush detective, make your own bush jewellery, weave baskets, mae traditional bush tools...or if you want to just sit, talk or listen....perhaps going on an Aboriginal cultural tag-along tour is more for you.  So if you're in the Tumut, N.S.W. area visit the centre and enjoy a Riverglade Wetlands Walk, a Cave cultural tour or go night stalking, did you know that 80% of Australia's native animals are noctural....there's something for everyone.  For more information contact the Tumut Region Visitors Centre for an order form on 02 6947 7025 or email tumutrvc@environment.nsw.gov.au

"Plant me I'm special" If you want to send a message, as in the written one or give a gift and need a tag.....why not make a GREEN statement.   I now have hand-made, recycled A4 paper and gift tags available impregnated with Australian native seeds.  Even if you want to send out a company message, make it a green one.   This paper can be planted and after about 10 days the little seedlings will appear, I have used Swan River Daisy, a pretty little mauve flower that is a native to Western Australia.  The paper acts as mulch then disintegrates and the flowers grow.  These are new to site and more cards are to be added to the page -  for more info

It's been a while since my last blog as my travels have been far and wide.  After a lot of packing and upheavel I've finally landed in Melbourne...a big change from the Sunshine Coast, but an exciting one.

Before coming to Melbourne I went on a trip up to Mission Beach and beyond seeking more bushfood and contacts.  It's been a lot of years since I've been there, although a few more exotic looking homes, not much seems to have changed, it's a fantastic place with the sugar cane fields and the banana plantations and lovely old Queensland buildings.  I met Annie at Off the Rails, a great coffee shop and giftware...Annie uses a lot of bush food in her cooking, jams, cutchneys, cookies and cakes her place is a taste sensation. 37 Hynes Street, Sth Johnstone (on the road from Mission Beach to Innisfail).

At Innisfail I went to see some crocodiles at the local Croc place, they are quite scary up close...the ranger went into the enclosure with only a long stick and gave us a good educational talk about their habits, I was a little nervy as the gate to the enclose was left wide open and metres between me and the croc, he did explain that if he (meaning the ranger) did a runner to the gate don't get in his way!!! AS IF!!  Also, very close to my heart are our native dingoes, these particular dingoes have been raised sinces pups and are used to people hangdling them (yes, that's me with the dingo...the picture was taken just after he gave me a quick lick across the face and then turned his attention to a wandering rooster!  Don't go cuddling any wild dingoes please.

Another place, one of so many, up Far North Queensland, is Parenella Park...this place is an absolute must see...built by one man in the 1930's the first in Australia to have it's own hydo power set in a botanic gardens of wonderful exotic foliage, a huge waterfall and caves, it's number 1 "must see" on the RACQ list.

from Far North Queensland, with it's heat and humidity to Melbourne...more on that trip later

Wattle Seed wild harvested.........Botanical name....Acacia victoriae.....Common names  ....Elegant wattle, Prickly wattle, Gundabluey, Bramble wattle, Elegant acacia.
 
Traditional Aboriginals used A. victoriae in arid regions of Australia as a food source. Occuring in all main land states.

Women would collect seed pods from the trees when ripe, separate seed 'yandy' clean in a wirra. Parch by fire, pound and ground into a flour. Mix water with flour to make a dough, then place in fire coals/ash to get a "jonny cake."

Green pods fully formed were also lightly roasted and the seed eaten.

In plentiful times seed could be stored away, it has a very hard seed coat. From the legumaceae family it has a pea flavour. Having a high protein level approx 17%, carbohydrate 41%, fibre 29%,fat 3 % (Brand&Cherikoff 1985) and a low Gi average 1480+270 KJ /100gms (Brand &Maggire  1992).

 
Most of todays  uses are based around  making a roasted  hazel-nutty flavour from the seed. By roasting the raw wattle seed until it pops (similar to pop corn). This new unique flavour has many uses in coffee like beverages(caffine free), essences, beer, baking, confectionary, dairy and marinades.

Over the past few years even the pod/husk of A. victoriae have been researched for its medical properties in the fight against cancer.

Current situation

Myrtle rust has been confirmed in a public parkland area at Noosaville.  Biosecurity Queensland is working with the council to determine the source of the infected plants.  To date the plant disease has been confimred on 19 sites.  The infected properties include production and retail nurseries, one queensland Government property and now a public parkland area.

Current operations

Nationally, the decision has been made that it is not feasible to eradicate this disease from Australia.  Biosecurity Queensland is continuing to work with industry to develop ongoing management options.  The focus of surveillance to date has been on production, retail nurseries,  and any bushland surrounding  the infected areas. 

Spreading the word

Biosecurity Queensland is now on Twitter and Facebook.  Get updates and images by following on Twitter: @Biosecurity Qld and Facebook: Biosecurity Queensland.

website  www.biosecurity.qld.gov.au.

Doesn't it bug you when you look at the scales and find that your weight has snuck up to an undesirable level!!!  No more muffins and chocolate...well for a while anyway....While I'm going to cut out and cut back on some things, not on the great abundance of vegetable, herbs and spices that we have at our disposable, so with that in mind I've created this great soup....just the thing for a Sunday night dinner, maybe with a dim sim or two!!  No cream in this one, but a wonderful creamy texture.

Because of the diversity of population and the geographical location Australian cooking covers a wide spectrum.....my job at Outback Chef is to encourage you to use some of our fantastic herbs and spices in your day to day cooking.....soooo here is a recipe that is good for you, tastes great and has our own Murray River Salt and Tasmanian Mountain pepper in it....not to mention it's easy and quick to make....using white miso, which is a favourite ingrediant of mine plus bok choy and asparagus....Bok Choy and Asparagus soup with Mountain Pepper

This Bushfood Combo is a hands-on bushfood kit designed to get things happening in the kitchen.  If you are interested in bushfood, but when it comes down to it don't know where to go in everyday cooking.  This kit is available at a special price, it incluces favourite bushfoods as well as fact sheets and how the Aboriginal people used them in their everyday cooking as well as easy to follow recipes and all the latest information on the health aspects of bushfood.  If you havn't yet tried any bushfood I can recommend this kit and am offering it at great value to entice you along the way a bit.

We had a wonderful day at the annual Didgeridoo Day at Westerfolds Park in Templestowe, Victoria.  It was great to meet up with a lot of friends that I havn't seen for years, all a little older but still looking great.  The sound of the didgeridoo still remains a favourite of mine and the calabre of players and dancers (for that matter) didn't disappoint.

I had a wonderful email during the week from USA asking for some recipe advice using Australian native bushfoods.  On following up on the website that was given to me I found that "City Green" is a community based garden teaching kids how to grow healthy food.......part of their garden was an Australian themed bush garden grown muntries, warragul greens, mountain pepper and bush tomato.  Amonst other things on a very interesting website was the comment "Third, fourth and fifth grade students that participated in school gardening activities scored significantly higher on science achievement tests compared to students that did not experience garden-based learning activities" (Klemmer, C.D., Waliczek, T.M. & Zajicek, J.J.; 2005)  Food for thought!!!  Not only that gardens and growing your own food is fun....it really is....

This magazine is a great read about those who are involved in Australia's new rural industries.  Their passion for their particular industry.   It features profiles on individuals and their businesses....this month it has included Outback Chef and the native food industry in it's profile.  Passion to Profit magazine has been selling in the newsagents but is now available on site and will be in the future.  Click to read magazine.

There is nothing more Australian than wattle.  The Golden Wattle is the symbol of Australia and it's at it's best at the moment, everywhere you go there is a blaze of bright yellow.  I've just been for a walk down by the Warrandyte River, Victoria with my dog.....  the wattle is simply suburb.

If you're a wattle fan and want to see a great Open Garden with a huge variety of wattle species then go to http://esther-brueggemeier.artistwebsites.com/.  Esther has an open day next weekend, see details below.....

The dates for visiting the garden are as follows:

10th & 11th September 2011

Open: 10am - 4:30pm
Entry: $6 per person (children free)

Tea & Coffee served free at

28 Staton Crescent
West Melton 3337 Vic


For more details please visit: opengarden.org.au

For those who would like a sneak peak of the garden, just watch this weeks segment of ABC Gardening Australia.

Saturday 3 September at 6:30pm on ABC

If you miss it, don't fret, it can also be downloaded or streamed from the ABC website:

http://www.abc.net.au/gardeining/

The Tumut Region is holding a Harmony Day, if you want to celebrate and learn more about indigenous culture, then a visit to Tumut and the National Park is well worth it. See the menu below....

 
For more information regarding the  events, please
contact the Tumut Region Visitors Centre on 
02) 6947 7025, or Cooee Cottage on 02) 6947 3362.
tumutrvc@environment.nsw.gov.au
www.tumutregion.com.au

NPWS Aboriginal Discovery Programs Tumut in partnership with Cooee Cottage, the Brungle and Tumut Community Working Party and the Tumut Shire Council will be hosting three community activities in Tumut on the 4th, 6th and 8th of October finishing with a Community Harmony day being held at Cooee Cottage in Tumut from 11am to 3pm.

NPWS Aboriginal Discovery Program

NAIDOC Harmony Day Menu

Saturday 8^th October 2011

Bush Tucker Fusion Menu

Main Tucker

Kangaroo Stew with Mountain Pepper and Bush Tomatoes

Tender diced Kangaroo served in a thick and tasty sauce

of bush tomato and mountain peppers.

Emu Curry

Emu fillets slowly cooked in an Australian Yellow Curry with Lemon myrtle.

Bush Tomato Sausages

Locally made sausages mildly spiced with bush tomato.

Native Fish Skewers with Lemon Pepper Rub

Fish fillets tossed lightly in a tangy lemon myrtle and mountain pepper rub

cooked on the BBQ

Bush Treats in Bush Tomato Rub

A grubby little morsel for those who are game served with

a strawberry gum, chilli and native lime dipping sauce.

Bush Dampers served with a selection of Australian Native Jams

Desserts

Lemon Myrtle Cheesecake

Served with fresh cream and rainforest plum coulis.

Chocolate and Wattleseed Cheesecake

Served with Chocolate Grande Marnier Sauce

Quandong and Mixed Berry Pie

Beverages

A selection of Native Teas and Wattle Seed Coffee

HARMONY DAY
Saturday the 8th of October, 11am - 3pm
Cooee Cottage

This event is for the whole community to come along and
experience first hand our local Aboriginal Culture and enjoy the
many traditional aspects of our local Aboriginal community.

 Sample some tasty treats of the Australian bush and
discover the many great flavors you can use to cook with.

 See cultural demonstrations.

 Sit by the fire, chat with a local Elder or listen to stories
from the Dream Time.

 Try your hand at making traditional tools, bush jewellery or
learn to throw a Boomerang painted by you.

For more information regarding the  events, please
contact the Tumut Region Visitors Centre on 
02) 6947 7025, or Cooee Cottage on 02) 6947 3362.

www.tumutregion.com.au

It has been estimated that there are at least 5,000 different native food species that were gathered and hunted by the Aboriginal population.  This unique food has been just about forgotten since the arrival of the European settlers.  The loss of traditional land and the loss the of knowledge that was handed down from generation to generation amongst the Aboriginal population meant that Australia's native food was not developed as part of our day to day diet.

I'ts now great to see the emergence of native food amongst non Indigenous  people.  It just makes sense to make the most of what grows naturally in this country.  It has developed naturally with Australia's environment;  resistant to the extremes of climate as well as many of the pests that prove problems with the introduced species.

SHELF LIFE EXTENSION OF KANGAROO MEAT USING NATURAL ANTIMICROBIALS

The following information is from research that was done by Dr Yasmina Sultanbawa at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, University of Queensland.

The harvesting of kangaroos for human and pet food consumption has become a significant domestic and export industry in Australia.

At present the pet food industry uses sulphites as a chemical preservative to extend the shelf-life of chilled kangaroo meat.

Sulphites cause thiamine deficiency in low body weight animals (including cats and dogs) and the ffects are exacerbated when the animals are exculsively fed a diet containing high concentrations of sulphite preservatives.

There is a consumer demand for additive free food and the trend is to use natural antimicrobils such as plant extracts as preservatives.  Certain plant extracts are also a rich source of antioxidants which can extend the freshness of the product by preventing oxidation.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the potential of using natural antimicrobils such as plant extracts and organic acids in extending the storage life of chilled kangaroo meat and as an alternative to sulphites as a chemical preservative.

METHODS

Freeze dried water extracts of kakadu and Queensland Davidson plum, lactic acid and citric acid were screened for antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using a mictotitre assay and the minimum inbigitory concentration was determined.

Different mixtures of natural antimicrobials both in-house and commercial blends were incorporated into kangaroo mince using vacuum and MAP packaging conditions and shelf life was determined over a chilled storage period of 29 days.

Samples from each treatment were taken on storage days 1, 4, 11, 15, 20, 25 and 29 and tested for microbiological, colour, gas chromatography mass spectrometry and sensory analysis.

FINDINGS

Screening of antimicrobial efficacy of kakadu and Queensland Davidson plum with organic acids completed inhibited S. aureus and E. coli.

It retained redness during the storage period and was comparable with the fresh kangaroo mince.  The highest reduction in redness was observed in treatments with 0.2% Oregano essential oil and 0.1% Queensland Davidson plum + 0.1% kakadu plum + 0.25% lactic acid over the 29 day storage period for vacuum packed products.

The most effective treatments observed were with a combination of Queensland Davidson plum + kakadu plum + lactic acid with vacuum packaging at day 20.

GCMS results revealed an increase in alkenes, aldehydes, ketones and alcohols in all treatments in comparison to the fresh kangaroo mince sample.  The highest off-flavour volatiles are present in the control sample without any treatment, indicating that the quality deterioration in the control was the most rapid at chilled storage.

CONCLUSION

Natural antimicrobial blends, both produced in-house and commercially sourced, were effective in extending the shelf-life of fresh kangaroo mince meat at chilled storage temperatures.  Vacuum packaging was more effective in maintaining the quality of fresh kangaroo meat than MAP.  Even though the aerobic bacteria were within the critical microbiological limits the sensory quality of most treatments was not acceptable after 29 days of storage.