Our Kakadu plum powder is independently lab-tested at over 240 times the vitamin C concentration of a fresh orange. That is not a claim. That is our certificate of analysis — 12,100mg of natural vitamin C per 100 grams of dried powder, sitting in a vault waiting for anyone who wants to check it.
This is Australia’s superfruit. A small, tart bush fruit native to northern Australia — and the highest recorded natural source of vitamin C of any fruit on earth. Not acerola. Not camu camu. Kakadu plum. The Australian Government’s own laboratory measured 7,253mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of dried fruit.[1] A fresh orange has around 50mg. That is over 100 times more concentrated — and our own lab result is 240 times. That is the real number. It is not a marketing claim. It is conservative.
Why You See Two Different Numbers — 50 Times and 100 Times
Both figures are accurate. They measure different things, and it is worth knowing which is which.
The 50 times figure compares fresh Kakadu plum fruit to a fresh orange. Fresh Kakadu plum tests at around 2,300 to 3,150mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.[2] A fresh orange has around 50mg per 100g. On that comparison, Kakadu plum has roughly 50 to 65 times more. Australia’s Kakadu National Park uses the “around 50 times” description, and it is accurate for that fresh-to-fresh comparison.
The 100 times (and higher) figure compares the dried powder form to a fresh orange — which is the relevant comparison for a supplement, because the product you are actually taking is dried powder. When Kakadu plum is dried, the water is removed and the vitamin C concentrates. The Australian Government laboratory measured 7,253mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of dried fruit.[1] That is over 100 times more than a fresh orange.
Our specific powder is independently lab-tested at 12,100mg of vitamin C per 100 grams — 121mg per gram.[3] By weight, that is over 240 times the vitamin C concentration of a fresh orange.
So “up to 100 times more than an orange” is actually the conservative description of what dried Kakadu plum powder delivers.
What Does Vitamin C Do? — The Approved Science
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient your body cannot make on its own. Every gram has to come from what you eat. Here is what the research shows it contributes to, as recognised by Food Standards Australia New Zealand:[4]
- Immune system function — Vitamin C contributes to normal immune system function.
- Iron absorption — Vitamin C contributes to the absorption of iron from food.
- Energy and tiredness — Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
- Blood vessels — Vitamin C is necessary for normal blood vessel structure and function.
- Collagen formation — Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
- Cell protection — Vitamin C contributes to cell protection from free radical damage.
One 500mg capsule of our Kakadu plum powder delivers 60mg of natural vitamin C — more than the adult recommended daily intake of 45mg.[3]
The Highest Vitamin C Fruit — How Kakadu Plum Compares
Kakadu plum ranked first for vitamin C when the Australian Government tested every native Australian fruit, herb and spice in 2009.[1] In the published scientific literature, it is consistently described as the highest recorded natural source of vitamin C of any food.[5]
| Fruit | Vitamin C per 100g (fresh) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kakadu plum | 2,300–3,150mg, up to 5,300mg | [2][11] |
| Camu camu | Up to 2,780mg | [10] |
| Acerola cherry | 1,678mg | [9] |
| Kiwifruit | ~90mg | USDA |
| Orange | ~50mg | USDA |
On typical published figures, Kakadu plum comes out highest. The ranges overlap at the extremes — different trees, different growing regions, different seasons all affect the result. That is why we say “highest recorded” rather than “always more than.”
Ten Thousand Years Before the Lab Results
The science is recent. The knowledge is ancient.
Aboriginal Australians have eaten this fruit for tens of thousands of years. They carried it on long walks and hunting trips for energy and refreshment.[6] It was used as a food preservative — and modern University of Queensland research has now confirmed it can stop common food bacteria in the lab.[13] Early European records describe the fruit as “considered more valuable as a medicine rather than as a food.”[7]
In 1982, researchers published findings in The Lancet describing Kakadu plum as “an outstanding food source of vitamin C.”[8] That paper started the scientific interest that has since produced dozens of studies.
The fruit grows wild across northern Australia — from the Kimberley in Western Australia through the Northern Territory to Arnhem Land and Cape York. Aboriginal people know it by many names depending on country: gubinge, anmarlak, manmorlak, murunga.[6][14]
Farmed, Tested, Made in Australia
Our Kakadu plum is farmed by an Australian grower — not wild-harvested. Farming allows for a consistent, quality-controlled supply that is not at the mercy of seasonal wild harvests.
- Independently tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121mg per gram[3]
- Tested for heavy metals — lead and arsenic both under the safety limit[3]
- Clean on every microbial test[3]
- Confirmed as genuine Terminalia ferdinandiana[3]
- No fillers, no additives — whole fruit including the seed
Every batch is tested. The certificate of analysis is available on request.
Our Family. Twenty-Five Years.
McArthur Natural Products started with Tom McArthur — a man who spent over twenty-five years working with natural Australian ingredients, caring for Australian skin. Darren McArthur has carried that on.
Kakadu plum is the natural next chapter: an Australian native fruit, grown in Australia, backed by Australian Government lab results, with a family behind it who can tell you exactly what is in the bottle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kakadu plum a good source of vitamin C?
Yes — it is the highest recorded natural source of vitamin C of any fruit. One 500mg capsule of our powder delivers 60mg of natural vitamin C, which is more than the adult recommended daily intake of 45mg.
Why do some sources say 50 times more vitamin C than an orange, and others say 100 times?
Both figures are accurate — they are measuring different things. Comparing fresh Kakadu plum fruit to a fresh orange gives roughly 50 to 65 times more. Comparing the dried powder form to a fresh orange — which is the relevant comparison for a supplement — gives over 100 times. Our own lab-tested powder is over 240 times more concentrated than a fresh orange by weight.
Which fruits have the highest vitamin C?
Kakadu plum consistently rates the highest of any fruit in the published research. After it come camu camu and acerola cherry. Kakadu plum is the only one native to Australia.
What are the side effects of Kakadu plum?
Kakadu plum contains oxalate — the same compound found in spinach, beetroot and many other common foods. A standard 500mg serving contains around 7 to 14mg of oxalate, similar to a handful of raspberries. If you have had kidney stones or have a kidney condition, check with your health professional before adding it to your routine.
32% protein · 421mg magnesium · zinc 10× higher than the fruit flesh. University-measured in a peer-reviewed study. Most processors discard it.
Our products are food, not therapeutic goods, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.
Kakadu plum is also the highest-vitamin E fruit ever tested in the Australian Government study. Read the full story on our vitamin E foods guide.
Why Our Capsules Contain the Whole Fruit — Seed and All
Most Kakadu plum products use only the dried fruit flesh. Ours uses whole fruit powder — fruit and seed kernel together. Processing the seed to the same fine powder as the fruit, with no grit, costs more and takes more work. We do it because the numbers are worth it.
The seed kernel carries dramatically higher concentrations of every mineral the body needs alongside vitamin E:
- Zinc: 6.0mg per 100g in the seed — 10 times more than the fruit flesh (0.57mg)
- Copper: 2.5mg per 100g in the seed — 8 times more than the fruit flesh (0.30mg)
- Manganese: 9.1mg per 100g in the seed — 2.6 times more than the fruit flesh (3.5mg)
- Iron: 6.1mg per 100g in the seed — 50% more than the fruit flesh (4.0mg)
These are not bonus minerals. Zinc, copper, manganese and iron are cofactors your body uses in the same antioxidant and cellular protection processes as vitamin E. A product without the seed leaves the most concentrated part of the plant out.
The powder is smooth — no grit — because we grind and dry the seed kernel to the same fine powder standard as the fruit. That is the extra research and processing cost that goes into every capsule. No other Kakadu plum supplement we are aware of includes the seed.
Why does your Kakadu plum powder include the seed?
Because you get both — the fruit and the seed kernel in every capsule, and the seed carries everything the fruit has at even higher concentrations, plus nutrients the fruit alone does not provide.
The fruit gives you 240 times the vitamin C of an orange, 6.1mg of vitamin E (the highest of any fruit tested), and polyphenol levels 10.5 times higher than blueberries.
The seed kernel adds to that: 32% protein (researchers described it as a potential new protein source), 35% fat — four-fifths of it unsaturated — 21% fibre, and a separate mineral load of 539mg calcium, 421mg magnesium, 669mg potassium, plus manganese, iron, zinc and copper at concentrations 3 to 10 times higher than the fruit flesh.
You are not choosing between one or the other. Our capsules contain whole fruit powder — fruit and seed kernel together, ground to a fine smooth powder with no grit. Most Kakadu plum products use only the fruit flesh and leave the seed out entirely. That means they are giving you half the plant.
No other Kakadu plum supplement we are aware of includes the seed.
Read the full antioxidant comparison on our antioxidant rich foods page — including the FRAP score and the 11 named tannins in this fruit.
References
- Konczak I et al. Health Benefits of Australian Native Foods. RIRDC, Australian Government, Pub. 09/133, Sep 2009.
- Zhou Y et al. Bioactive Properties of Kakadu Plum-Blended Products. Molecules, 2023.
- McArthur Natural Products laboratory certificate (Phytoverse COA, 12.1% / 121mg/g). Available on request.
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Standard 1.2.7 — Nutrition, Health and Related Claims.
- Konczak I, Maillot F, Dalar A. Phytochemical divergence in 45 accessions of Terminalia ferdinandiana. Food Chemistry, 2014.
- Ancient Future: The “Kakadu Plum” Story. Working Papers, Australian Government.
- Society for Kimberley Indigenous Plants and Animals, Terminalia ferdinandiana (Gubinge).
- Brand, Cherikoff, Lee and Truswell. The Lancet, 1982.
- USDA FoodData Central, Acerola (West Indian cherry), raw.
- Frontiers in Plant Science, 2025, camu camu vitamin C range.
- Down Under Enterprises / Escentials of Australia industry data, Sep 2026.
- Ross Creek Tropicals, Kakadu Plum tree growing notes.
- UQ News, 18 Sep 2024 — Kakadu plum food preservative research.
- Parks Australia, Kakadu plum, Kakadu National Park.