 Australian Native Foods
Plant Profiles
Acacias
Common Names & Species:
The seeds of many Acacia species are edible, however seed of some species contain toxic components (see below). The seed of Elegant Wattle (Acacia victoriae) is regarded by many as the food industry 'standard'. However a number of other species are commonly traded or of interest for food. These include Acacia colei, A. Coriacea , Golden Wattle (A. pycnantha), Sandplain Wattle (A. murrayana), Silver Wattle (A. retinodes) and Coastal Wattle (A. sophorae).
Family:
Mimosaceae.
Aboriginal Names:
Some of the names include Ariepe (Arrernte NT), Ganabargu (Warlpiri NT), Ngatunpa (Pitjatjantjara NT), Pulkuru (Pintupi, NT) Waliputa Murchison WA).
Native To:
Several species of food industry interest are native to arid and temperate areas of Australia with some, like A. victoriae , having a very widespread natural distribution.
>> Virtual Herbarium
Habit:
A. victoriae : Shrub to small multi-stemmed tree , 3-4 metres tall. Spines on branches.
>> PIRSA fact sheet
 Part Used:
Seed
Colour: glossy dark brown,
Appearance: oval shaped seeds with small arils.
Flavour:
After roasting, the flavour is commonly described as 'nutty', with variations in taste between species.
Food Use:
For nut-type flavour in sweet and savoury products. Wattle seed are high in protein and have a low glycaemic index and they could be included in diabetic and other specialty diets.
Current Retail Product Categories:
Baked goods, flour mixes, mustards, dressings, sweet sauces, beverages.
Food Quality & Safety Issues:
Acacia seed may contain toxic compounds and anti-nutritional factors. Generally, the anti-nutrients are denatured by heat, and are therefore destroyed by roasting and cooking. Those that can be destroyed by heat include protease inhibitors, amylase inhibitors and haemagglutinins. Those that can not be destroyed by heating include tannins, toxic amino acids, cyanogenic glycosides and alkaloids. Studies to date indicate that any presence of these factors is in the lower range, and is comparable to the presence of these factors in other common legumes. Evidence suggests there are not likely to be significant problems resulting from the presence of toxic compounds or anti-nutritional factors, though heat treatment of seeds is a safeguard that needs to be emphasised and industry standards for roasting are required to ensure food safety, as well as product quality and consistency.
Currently there is no industry-wide product description or quality standards developed or published for this crop, though individual market channel groups are likely to be working to in-house standards.
Crop collection, production and handling systems will eventually require the implementation of HACCP-based food safety systems. Wild harvested sources may have difficulty in some areas of these systems, such as product traceability requirements.
Industrial & Non-Food Product Categories:
Seeds and their constituents have attracted attention for potential food 'industrial' products, such as starch, oil, textured vegetable protein and as a bulk replacement for wheat flour. Currently the price of competing products and the lack of technology and research is mitigating against further developments in these application areas.
13 March, 2008 as a source of tannins, their use in soil rehabilitation, dryland salinity mitigation, as a source of fodder, for windbreaks and as a host plant in quandong plantations.
Wild Harvest/Cultivated Supplies:
Currently, the supply of Acacia seed for the food industry is almost entirely reliant on seeds obtained from natural stands. The current level of commercial cultivated plantings is still small and probably accounts for less than 10% of current seed supplies.
Wild Harvest Locations:
Alice Springs region, Hawker-Port Augusta and Broken Hill areas.
Cultivation Locations:
Riverland, South Australia; western districts of Victoria.
Approx Wholesale ('Farm Gate') Prices:
Wattle seed whole dried $32. Dried raw and ground $34/kg Whole dried and roasted $41/kg. Dried roasted and ground $42/kg.
Current Volumes Traded:
Estimated at around 10-20 tonnes harvested from the wild each year across Australia of all species, with A. victoriae predominating. Up to a further two tonnes may be available from cultivation (2001).
Previous Research:
To help researchers and others with an understanding of previous research work in Acacias, a selected bibliography has been prepared and can be downloaded from this site.
The bibliography is in the form of tab-delimited text file and can be read by word processors, or imported in to spreadsheet or database programs for greater functionality.
>> Acacia bibliography (text 8 Kb).
Other Links:
 This Australian Native Foods Web site is jointly supported by RIRDC and CSIRO.
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