Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia

Eleanor Dunlop; Noel Nannup; Dale Tilbrook; Carol Michie; Cindy Prior; Greg Nannup; Alison Nannup; Brad Farrant; Judy Cunningham; Paul Adorno; Georgios Dabos; John Jacky; Theoni Whyman; Janine McNamara; Liam Bedford; Carrington C.J. Shepherd; Andrea Begley; Belinda Neo; Lucinda J. Black

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938

Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia

Eleanor Dunlop, Noel Nannup, Dale Tilbrook, Carol Michie, Cindy Prior, Greg Nannup, Alison Nannup, Brad Farrant, Judy Cunningham, Paul Adorno, Georgios Dabos, John Jacky, Theoni Whyman, Janine McNamara, Liam Bedford, Carrington C.J. Shepherd, Andrea Begley, Belinda Neo, Lucinda J. Black

UWA Centre for Child Health Research (affiliated with the The Kids Research Institute Australia)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Low vitamin D status and intake are prevalent among the Australian population, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We hypothesised that some traditional foods could contain vitamin D, and measured vitamin D in foods from Nyoongar Country, Western Australia. Samples of kangaroo, emu, squid/calamari and lobster/crayfish were collected and prepared by Aboriginal people using traditional and contemporary methods. We measured vitamin D₃, 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ (25(OH)D₃), vitamin D₂ and 25(OH)D₂ using liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Kangaroo meat and offal were largely devoid of vitamin D (no mean values >0.1 μg/100 g). Vitamin D₃ was found in emu meat and calamari/squid (range 0.5–1.0 μg/100 g). No samples contained 25(OH)D₃, vitamin D₂ or 25(OH)D₂ at mean values >0.1 μg/100 g. Modern food composition data can complement traditional knowledges in the promotion of traditional foods for healthy eating and social and emotional wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Original language	English
Article number	146938
Number of pages	8
Journal	Food Chemistry
Volume	496
Early online date	5 Nov 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938
Publication status	Published - 25 Dec 2025

Funding

Funders	Funder number
NHMRC National Health and Medical Research Council	1184788

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10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938Licence: CC BY-NC

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Dunlop, E., Nannup, N., Tilbrook, D., Michie, C., Prior, C., Nannup, G., Nannup, A., Farrant, B., Cunningham, J., Adorno, P., Dabos, G., Jacky, J., Whyman, T., McNamara, J., Bedford, L., Shepherd, C. C. J., Begley, A., Neo, B., & Black, L. J. (2025). Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia. Food Chemistry, 496, Article 146938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938

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title = "Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia",

abstract = "Low vitamin D status and intake are prevalent among the Australian population, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We hypothesised that some traditional foods could contain vitamin D, and measured vitamin D in foods from Nyoongar Country, Western Australia. Samples of kangaroo, emu, squid/calamari and lobster/crayfish were collected and prepared by Aboriginal people using traditional and contemporary methods. We measured vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), vitamin D2 and 25(OH)D2 using liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Kangaroo meat and offal were largely devoid of vitamin D (no mean values >0.1 μg/100 g). Vitamin D3 was found in emu meat and calamari/squid (range 0.5–1.0 μg/100 g). No samples contained 25(OH)D3, vitamin D2 or 25(OH)D2 at mean values >0.1 μg/100 g. Modern food composition data can complement traditional knowledges in the promotion of traditional foods for healthy eating and social and emotional wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.",

keywords = "Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples, Emu, Food composition, Kangaroo, Seafood",

author = "Eleanor Dunlop and Noel Nannup and Dale Tilbrook and Carol Michie and Cindy Prior and Greg Nannup and Alison Nannup and Brad Farrant and Judy Cunningham and Paul Adorno and Georgios Dabos and John Jacky and Theoni Whyman and Janine McNamara and Liam Bedford and Shepherd, \{Carrington C.J.\} and Andrea Begley and Belinda Neo and Black, \{Lucinda J.\}",

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year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938",

language = "English",

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journal = "Food Chemistry",

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Dunlop, E, Nannup, N, Tilbrook, D, Michie, C, Prior, C, Nannup, G, Nannup, A, Farrant, B, Cunningham, J, Adorno, P, Dabos, G, Jacky, J, Whyman, T, McNamara, J, Bedford, L, Shepherd, CCJ, Begley, A, Neo, B & Black, LJ 2025, 'Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia', Food Chemistry, vol. 496, 146938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938

TY - JOUR

T1 - Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia

AU - Dunlop, Eleanor

AU - Nannup, Noel

AU - Tilbrook, Dale

AU - Michie, Carol

AU - Prior, Cindy

AU - Nannup, Greg

AU - Nannup, Alison

AU - Farrant, Brad

AU - Cunningham, Judy

AU - Adorno, Paul

AU - Dabos, Georgios

AU - Jacky, John

AU - Whyman, Theoni

AU - McNamara, Janine

AU - Bedford, Liam

AU - Shepherd, Carrington C.J.

AU - Begley, Andrea

AU - Neo, Belinda

AU - Black, Lucinda J.

PY - 2025/12/25

Y1 - 2025/12/25

N2 - Low vitamin D status and intake are prevalent among the Australian population, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We hypothesised that some traditional foods could contain vitamin D, and measured vitamin D in foods from Nyoongar Country, Western Australia. Samples of kangaroo, emu, squid/calamari and lobster/crayfish were collected and prepared by Aboriginal people using traditional and contemporary methods. We measured vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), vitamin D2 and 25(OH)D2 using liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Kangaroo meat and offal were largely devoid of vitamin D (no mean values >0.1 μg/100 g). Vitamin D3 was found in emu meat and calamari/squid (range 0.5–1.0 μg/100 g). No samples contained 25(OH)D3, vitamin D2 or 25(OH)D2 at mean values >0.1 μg/100 g. Modern food composition data can complement traditional knowledges in the promotion of traditional foods for healthy eating and social and emotional wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

AB - Low vitamin D status and intake are prevalent among the Australian population, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We hypothesised that some traditional foods could contain vitamin D, and measured vitamin D in foods from Nyoongar Country, Western Australia. Samples of kangaroo, emu, squid/calamari and lobster/crayfish were collected and prepared by Aboriginal people using traditional and contemporary methods. We measured vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25(OH)D3), vitamin D2 and 25(OH)D2 using liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Kangaroo meat and offal were largely devoid of vitamin D (no mean values >0.1 μg/100 g). Vitamin D3 was found in emu meat and calamari/squid (range 0.5–1.0 μg/100 g). No samples contained 25(OH)D3, vitamin D2 or 25(OH)D2 at mean values >0.1 μg/100 g. Modern food composition data can complement traditional knowledges in the promotion of traditional foods for healthy eating and social and emotional wellbeing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

KW - Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander peoples

KW - Emu

KW - Food composition

KW - Kangaroo

KW - Seafood

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105020962600

U2 - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938

DO - 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146938

M3 - Article

C2 - 41197327

AN - SCOPUS:105020962600

SN - 0308-8146

VL - 496

JO - Food Chemistry

JF - Food Chemistry

M1 - 146938

ER -

Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia

Abstract

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Promoting vitamin D sufficiency among Aboriginal people through dietary strategies and safe sun exposure

Cite this

Vitamin D content of wild-caught traditional foods collected on Nyoongar Country in Western Australia

Abstract

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

Promoting vitamin D sufficiency among Aboriginal people through dietary strategies and safe sun exposure

Cite this