THE FACTS, LAB-TESTED:
Independently lab tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121mg in every gram of Kakadu plum powder.
60mg of natural vitamin C in every 500mg capsule.
140 capsules · 70 grams of pure freeze-dried Kakadu plum · 93c a gram.
Australian grown. Whole fruit, no synthetic ascorbic acid. Vegan & gluten free.
The Kakadu plum (also called gubinge or billy goat plum) is a small, pale-green fruit from the Top End — and most Australians have never tasted one. Yet it holds a remarkable record: one of the highest natural vitamin C concentrations ever measured in a fruit, often cited at up to 50 times that of an orange, weight for weight (Australian Government, Kakadu National Park).
What exactly is a Kakadu plum?
Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) is a native Australian fruit that grows across the Northern Territory and the Kimberley. Depending on where you are in the north, you might hear it called gubinge, billy goat plum, or bush plum — all the same remarkable little fruit.
It’s been part of this country far longer than any of us: Aboriginal communities across northern Australia harvested Kakadu plum as a traditional bush food for thousands of years — a piece of Australian food history worth knowing when you taste it. You can read more about the fruit on Kakadu National Park’s own page.
The vitamin C story, in numbers
An orange — the fruit most of us treat as the vitamin C benchmark — carries roughly 50 milligrams of vitamin C per 100 grams. Laboratory analysis of Kakadu plum has recorded levels that vary widely between trees and seasons. Our own powder is independently laboratory tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121mg in every gram. It’s also naturally rich in ellagic acid and other antioxidants, and it’s the subject of ongoing research — the University of Queensland’s food institute has an entire program dedicated to this one fruit.
Kakadu plum grows wild across northern Australia — but we use farm-grown Kakadu plum powder, for the consistent quality every batch deserves.
Laboratory-tested — the proof
We don’t just quote the science — we test our own. Independent laboratory analysis of our Kakadu plum powder recorded 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121 milligrams in every gram. Testing confirmed it’s genuine Australian Terminalia ferdinandiana and passed every purity and safety check: heavy metals, lead and arsenic all under limit, clean on every microbial test. When we say laboratory-tested, we hold the certificate.
Why is everyone talking about it?
Beyond the vitamin C, the fruit itself is small — about the size of an olive — with a tart, refreshing taste somewhere between a green apple and a quandong. Too sour for most people to eat by the handful, which is why it’s usually enjoyed as a powder, in capsules, or blended into foods. Meanwhile, skincare labs around the world have made Kakadu plum extract a prized ingredient in serums and creams.
An Australian original
The tree is no relation to the plums in your fruit bowl — it earned the name from its plum-like look. It grows across the Top End, fruiting toward the end of the wet season. You’ll hear it called gubinge in the Kimberley, billy goat plum in the Territory, and Kakadu plum on labels around the world — but wherever you hear it, it’s the same uniquely Australian fruit, and no other country grows it.
Where and when it grows
Kakadu plum trees grow through the open tropical woodlands of northern Australia — common enough in Kakadu National Park to be spotted from most walking tracks. You can pick them out by their egg-shaped fruit, large round leaves and spikes of cream-coloured flowers.
They flower through Kurrung, the season from August to October, and the fruit ripens at the end of the tropical summer, between March and May. For the Bininj and Mungguy people of Kakadu the plums are an important food, usually eaten raw and sometimes made into jam. (Source: Australian Government, Kakadu National Park.)
That short fruiting window is one of the reasons the fruit is freeze-dried. A harvest that lasts a few months can then be used all year round.
The benefits of Kakadu plum powder
1. One of the world’s richest natural vitamin C sources. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient your body can’t make itself — it has to come from food. Kakadu plum powder is one of the most concentrated food sources available.
2. It’s the whole fruit, nothing added. Our powder is 100% pure Australian farm-grown Kakadu plum — no fillers, no additives. What’s in the fruit is what’s in the powder.
3. Natural food, not a synthetic tablet. Many vitamin C products are made in a laboratory. Kakadu plum is simply a fruit — you’re eating food, the way people have for a very long time.
4. Easy to use every day. A small amount goes a long way.
How people use Kakadu plum today
- Kakadu plum powder — stirred into smoothies, juice, yoghurt or muesli for a tangy vitamin C kick
- Kakadu plum capsules — the no-fuss option for people who want the fruit in their routine without the tart taste
- Skincare — Kakadu plum extract has become a prized ingredient in serums and creams worldwide
- Food — chefs use it in jams, sauces and desserts celebrating native Australian ingredients
1. Smoothies
The easiest way of all — add a small spoonful to any smoothie. Its tart, citrusy bite disappears into banana, mango or berries.
2. Sprinkled over breakfast
A light dusting over yoghurt, muesli or porridge. Start small — a little goes a long way.
3. In fresh juice
Stir into orange or apple juice for an extra vitamin C kick from a whole Australian fruit.
4. In salad dressings
Whisk a pinch into olive oil and lemon — the tartness works like a native citrus.
5. A DIY vitamin C face mask
Kakadu plum is prized in skincare for its vitamin C — it’s the same ingredient we blend into our own paw paw face cream. Mix a small amount of powder with plain yoghurt or honey for a simple weekend face mask. (Patch-test first, as with any new skincare.)
6. Keep it raw where you can
Heat breaks down vitamin C — so add the powder to cold or warm foods rather than baking with it, and you keep what you paid for.
7. Capsules — or powder, whenever you want it
If powder isn’t your style, our Kakadu Plum Capsules hold the identical 100% pure farm-grown freeze-dried Kakadu plum powder, pre-measured: 500mg per capsule, 140 per bottle — 70 grams of pure powder. And you’re not locked into swallowing them. Every capsule twists open in a second, so you can tip that 500mg straight into a smoothie, your yoghurt or a juice — no scales, no scoops, no guessing. One capsule a day is about 60mg of natural vitamin C; Australia’s recommended intake for adults is 45mg. Before you compare prices anywhere, check how many grams of actual powder other bottles contain.
8. Make your own capsules
Here’s one nobody tells you: with a simple capsule press (an inexpensive kitchen gadget), you can fill your own capsules from loose powder — or skip the work entirely and grab ours ready-made.
New to this fruit? Start with What Is Kakadu Plum? and the benefits of Kakadu plum powder.
Where the powder comes from
Kakadu plum trees grow through the open tropical woodlands of northern Australia. They flower from August to October, and the fruit ripens at the end of the tropical summer, between March and May. For the Bininj and Mungguy people of Kakadu the plums are a long-standing food, usually eaten raw. (Source: Australian Government, Kakadu National Park.)
Because that harvest window is only a few months long, the fruit is freeze-dried — which is how a March-to-May crop ends up in your smoothie in September.
Why freeze-dried
Heat is what destroys vitamin C. Freeze-drying takes the water out of the fruit without cooking it, and published studies comparing drying methods consistently find much better vitamin C retention from freeze-drying than from hot-air drying — in comparisons on other fruits, losses of around 9% freeze-dried against 27% to 53% hot-air dried. That is why ours is freeze-dried whole fruit, and why we say keep it out of the oven.
The 5 things to check before you buy Kakadu plum powder
1. How many grams of actual powder are in the bottle?
This is the big one. With capsules, multiply: milligrams per capsule × number of capsules. Check the milligrams per capsule and multiply it out — that’s the number that matters. Ours holds 500mg per capsule, 140 capsules — 70 grams. Always do this maths first; it changes which product is really the cheapest.
2. Is it 100% pure — or blended?
Read the ingredients list. It should say one thing: Kakadu plum. No fillers, no flow agents, no “proprietary blend.”
3. Where was the fruit grown?
Look for clearly stated Australian origin. Ours is farm-grown in Australia — stated plainly, because it’s true.
4. Has it been laboratory tested — for what’s in it AND what’s not?
Good Kakadu plum powder should come with real test results, not just marketing words. Two things to ask any seller:
What’s in it: ours is laboratory-tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — a real figure from a real certificate.
What’s NOT in it: ours is independently tested by an Australian laboratory and comes back clean for heavy metals and microbiological safety. If a seller can’t show you that, ask why.
5. Is the seller Australian-owned?
Your money stays with the people doing the work.
Where you can buy it
- Direct from the source — buying direct usually means fresher stock and better value: our Kakadu Plum Capsules are available now, and our 80g loose powder is coming soon
- Health food stores — carry various brands; take the checklist with you
- Online marketplaces — convenient, but check point 1 carefully; listings often hide the grams
Our Kakadu plum range
At Real McArthur we’re proud to offer Kakadu Plum Capsules made with farm-grown Australian Kakadu plum — and our loose Kakadu plum powder is coming soon for the smoothie makers. As with everything we make: no nonsense, clearly labelled, Australian through and through.
Kakadu Plum Benefits at a Glance
People searching kakadu plum benefits are usually asking about one thing: vitamin C. Kakadu plum is recognised as one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C of any fruit on earth. Our kakadu plum powder is independently laboratory-tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121mg in every gram.
What is Kakadu plum good for?
Kakadu plum is known for one thing above all: vitamin C. It is recognised as one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C of any fruit on earth. Kakadu National Park records the fruit as carrying up to 50 times more vitamin C than oranges. Our own kakadu plum powder is independently laboratory-tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121mg in every gram. It is a food, eaten as a powder or in capsules.
What are the side effects of Kakadu plum?
Kakadu plum is a food, not a medicine. The fruit is very tart and naturally acidic, which is why people use a quarter to half a teaspoon of powder at a time rather than a spoonful. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking any medication, check with your doctor before adding a new food supplement to your routine.
The other names for Kakadu plum
Kakadu plum is Terminalia ferdinandiana. Across northern Australia it is also called gubinge, billygoat plum, green plum, salty plum, murunga and mador. They are all the same native fruit — the names change with the Country it grows on.
Quick answers
Yes — gubinge is the Kimberley name for the same fruit. Billy goat plum is another name you’ll hear in the NT.
No — it’s a completely different plant family. The name comes from its plum-like shape and colour, not its relatives.
Tart and refreshing — think green apple with a bush-food edge. That’s why powder and capsules are the popular ways to have it.
Its recorded vitamin C concentration is among the highest of any fruit in the world, and it’s a uniquely Australian food with thousands of years of history.
Right here — our capsules are in the shop, with loose powder on the way.
The trees flower from August to October and the fruit ripens at the end of the tropical summer, between March and May (Australian Government, Kakadu National Park). Because that harvest window is short, the fruit is usually freeze-dried so it can be used all year.
Freeze-drying takes the water out without cooking the fruit. Studies comparing drying methods consistently find much better vitamin C retention from freeze-drying than from hot-air drying. Our own powder is independently laboratory tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — 121mg in every gram.
From the Top End to your door — Kakadu plum, Australia’s own.
Shop Kakadu Plum →
Keep reading: paw paw vs papaya · why we blend magnesium into our paw paw cream
You can take it as Kakadu plum capsules today, and our loose Kakadu plum powder (80g) is coming soon.
More questions
How much Kakadu plum powder should I use?
Start with a small amount — around a quarter to half a teaspoon — and adjust to taste. It’s concentrated.
Can I cook with Kakadu plum powder?
You can, but heat reduces vitamin C — it’s best in cold or warm foods, not baked ones.
Can I use Kakadu plum powder on my skin?
Many people do — it’s a favourite skincare ingredient because of its vitamin C. Patch-test first.
Is the powder the same as your capsules?
Yes — identical 100% pure Australian farm-grown powder. Each of our capsules holds 500mg, 140 per bottle — 70 grams of pure powder.
Can I open the capsules and use the powder?
Yes. Every capsule twists apart in a second. Inside is exactly 500mg of the same freeze-dried powder — already weighed, so there is nothing to measure. Tip it into a smoothie, juice, yoghurt or your breakfast.
Kakadu plum powder is a food, not a medicine. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or managing a health condition, check with your health professional before adding new foods to your routine.
More questions
What’s a fair price for Kakadu plum powder?
Work it out per gram of actual powder, not per bottle — bottles vary from under 10 grams to 70 grams of powder. Per gram is the honest comparison.
Is Kakadu plum powder tested for heavy metals?
Ours is — independently tested by an Australian laboratory, clean for heavy metals and microbiological safety, alongside the vitamin C figure of 12.1%.
Can I buy Kakadu plum fresh?
Rarely — the fresh fruit has a short wet-season window and mostly stays in the north. Powder is how most of Australia buys it.
Is powder or capsules better?
Same thing — capsules are just pre-measured powder. Ours contain the identical 100% pure farm-grown powder either way.
Kakadu plum powder is a food, not a medicine. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or managing a health condition, check with your health professional before adding new foods to your routine.
More questions
How much vitamin C is in Kakadu plum powder?
Ours is laboratory-tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C — among the highest concentrations found in any food.
What does Kakadu plum taste like?
Tart and fresh — a sharp, citrusy bite. In a smoothie it disappears into the mix.
Is Kakadu plum powder the same as the capsules?
Yes — our capsules contain the identical 100% pure Australian farm-grown powder, just pre-measured.
Where does your Kakadu plum come from?
Farm-grown in Australia, and nothing else goes in the bag.
Kakadu plum powder is a food, not a medicine. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding or managing a health condition, check with your health professional before adding new foods to your routine.