Australian growers of Moringa oleifera are scrambling to save their livelihoods after food regulators ruled in November 2025 that the plant could not be sold as a food or food ingredient in Australia, with a new appeal now lodged and potentially years away from resolution.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) handed down the ruling after concluding it was unable to establish that moringa — sometimes called the drumstick tree and long used in Eastern cooking and health supplements — was safe for human consumption. The decision followed a January 2024 application by a Queensland organic produce company seeking to have moringa listed under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

What the Ban Actually Means for Moringa

Under the FSANZ determination, the leaves, immature pods and oils of the moringa plant can now be intercepted at the Australian border, destroyed or re-exported. Fresh and raw imported moringa is effectively off the shelves.

However, the ruling does not sweep away all moringa products. Therapeutic goods — including capsules and powders — that contain moringa remain available for purchase, provided they are registered with the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The distinction lies in how a product is classified: as a food ingredient or as a regulated therapeutic supplement.

In its rejection report, FSANZ cited concerns about reproductive effects observed in mice and conflicting findings around genotoxicity. The authority also noted that peer-reviewed evidence on the safety of moringa seed pods and oil was limited, and that it could not determine a safe level of human exposure without further dedicated studies.

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

Food industry consultant Courtney Stewart said this reflected standard procedure for ingredients not in widespread use in Australia, noting food standards exist primarily to protect consumers.

Growers Left in the Dark Overnight

For farmers who had built businesses around the crop, the ruling landed without warning. Somerset region grower Gary Duffy is now leading an industry appeal and has written to federal, state and territory health ministers seeking a stay on the determination while his new application is assessed.

"Fresh product going into the Melbourne and Sydney markets was all imported from overseas, and we want to try to bridge that gap," Mr Duffy said.

The federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing has confirmed that neither FSANZ nor the minister has the power to review or suspend the existing decision, but advised Mr Duffy that a fresh application would be welcomed. A decision on that new application could take up to two years.

Wide Bay farmer Joel Molloy is among those now facing an uncertain future. He spent a decade working in the moringa industry before relocating from the Gold Coast to a property near Rosedale — roughly five hours north of Brisbane — to establish his own farm. He purchased the property just before FSANZ handed down its November ruling.

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

Mr Molloy is now uncertain whether he will be able to legally sell the crop due for harvest this summer.

What Comes Next for the Moringa Industry

With the appeal process now underway, growers face a prolonged wait for any regulatory clarity. The new application must navigate the same scientific scrutiny that led to the original rejection, meaning additional human safety studies may be necessary to satisfy FSANZ's evidentiary threshold.

For farmers with crops already in the ground and markets expecting supply, a two-year timeline offers little comfort. Industry figures say they hope FSANZ moves more quickly this time — and that growers are given a seat at the table during the process.

Until a new determination is issued, moringa remains outside the scope of what can legally be sold as a food or food ingredient anywhere in Australia and New Zealand.