The Sweet Lupin Association (SLA) has been established to spearhead the promotion of ‘Australian lupin bean’ as a sustainable and healthy food source.
Establishment of the SLA, which is led by DPIRD, has been supported by the SW WA Hub via the Australian Government’s Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program.
Despite being predominantly grown in WA for stock feed or on-farm use, Australian lupin bean – also known as Australian Sweet Lupin (Lupin angustifolius) – remains relatively unknown to the global food industry and consumers.
DPIRD Lupin Industry Lead Greg Shea said the SLA would address this hurdle by raising awareness about its nutritional and health benefits.
“The SLA aims to unlock the potential of Australian lupin bean as a unique health food that is very high in protein (40 per cent) and fibre (37 per cent) and contains virtually no starch (less than 1 per cent),” Mr Shea said.
“This new association brings together WA-based lupin processing and food businesses, along with technical professionals, to promote value-added Australian lupin bean exports.
“In addition to highlighting the nutritional benefits of Australian lupin bean, the association will showcase the sustainable and ethical aspects of its production in WA and drive advancements in sweet lupin technology.”
Mr Shea is among those leading efforts to add value to lupin exports after DPIRD successfully applied for an innovation project grant offered through the SW WA Hub in 2022, via funding from the Agricultural Innovation Hubs Program.
“Through this project, we are undertaking a range of activities aimed at benefiting the lupin industry and catalysing onshore processing and export growth,” he said.
“Current work includes efforts to reduce the cost of alkaloid testing and field trials focused on the issue of alkaloids which is a key quality parameter that distinguishes the Australian lupin bean.”
As part of its efforts to raise awareness and showcase the potential of Australian lupin bean, the SLA is developing a dedicated website.
Project representatives also recently attended the Australian Pulse Conference in Toowoomba, which provided an excellent platform to showcase value-added Australian lupin bean products and their benefits.
The short-term project is one of 10 diverse innovation projects which commenced in WA after grants were awarded in 2022 by the SW WA Hub.
The grants were made possible by $2.5 million provided by the Australian Government to the SW WA, enabling it to expand its remit to include agricultural innovation.
For more information about the SLA and associated activities, contact Mr Shea on 0427 449 398 or greg.shea@dpird.wa.gov.au.
