• A new way to hide broccoli from children.
• A powder made from broccoli has been developed by Australian scientists.
• It got mixed reviews when tested in lattes served at a Melbourne cafe.

A cafe in Melbourne has become the first in the world to experiment with a broccoli latte.

Apparently the reviews were “mixed” for the green, nutrient-rich coffee served at Commonfolk Coffee Company in suburban Mornington.

The cafe used a powder developed by Australian scientists made from imperfect-looking broccoli that would have previously been wasted.

The product, developed by Hort Innovation and CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, packs a healthy punch with about one serve of broccoli in every two tablespoons of powder.

John Lloyd said, Hort Innovation’s CEO, says the powder can be used for smoothies, soups, baking and as a way of hiding broccoli from fussy children.

“With a rising trend in healthy eating across the board, Australian growers are always looking at ways to diversify their products and cut waste while meeting consumer demand,” he says.

“Research shows the average Australian is still not eating the recommended daily intake of vegetables a day, and options such as broccoli powder will help address this.”

The broccoli powder is made from whole broccoli, and produced using a combination of pre-treatment and drying processes to retain the natural colour, flavour and nutrient composition of the fresh vegbetable.

CSIRO’s Lead researcher, Mary Ann Augustin, says the powders are an option for farmers who want to produce value-added vegetable ingredients.

“The broccoli powder has already been used for the production of extruded snacks with high vegetable content,” she says.

“Prototype extruded snacks with 20-100% vegetable content were displayed during National Science Week at the Queen Victoria Market last year and were well-received by parents and even by kids.”

The broccoli powder is being developed as part of a larger research and development project which aims to reduce vegetable waste by creating healthy food products from “ugly” produce.

“The CSIRO team and Hort Innovation are discussing potential commercial applications with produce growers and grower groups across Australia who are interested in getting the powder on the market,” says Dr Augustin.

John Said, managing director of Fresh Select, a leading broccoli producer, sees the project as the emerging new food trend.

“Australians don’t eat enough vegetables and farmers across Australia will have access to an alternative market whilst improving farm yields and sustainability,” he says.

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