On the show, we’re revisiting one of the most talked about plants in global agriculture, the Moringa tree. You may have it growing in your own garden, seen it overseas, heard it mentioned here on Belly a few months ago, or noticed it appearing in conversations about sustainability and traditional cultures. But here in Australia and New Zealand, Moringa sits in a very specific regulatory space.

Moringa has a long, well‑documented history in several regions across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. In these places, it’s considered a traditional food plant, deeply embedded in local agriculture and daily life.

In these regions, Moringa is considered a traditional food plant because:

• It has been eaten for generations
• It has a long, documented history of culinary use
• It is part of local agriculture and cuisine
• Regulators recognise it as a conventional food, not a novel one

This contrasts with Australia and New Zealand, where:

• Moringa has no established history of consumption
• FSANZ requires scientific evidence before approving new foods
• The recent application for this approval was not successful

All of this means that as of May 2026, Moringa is not permitted to be sold as a food or food ingredient in Australia or New Zealand, following FSANZ’s formal rejection of Application A1294.

It is now treated as a novel food that has not been approved, meaning it can’t be sold as a food, added to foods, or imported as a food.

It can however still be sold as a TGA‑listed therapeutic product (e.g., capsules marketed without therapeutic claims, remain legal), but not as a food.

In lieu of this news, I welcome back to the airwaves Moringa Man. We’ll be sharing a conversation that isn’t about health claims or product promotion. Instead, we’re exploring what Moringa actually is, why it attracts global interest, how it’s used in non‑food contexts, and what the current rules mean for growers, researchers, and curious listeners like you at home.