Lemon Myrtle

Joseph H. Maiden reported on the potential use of lemon myrtle for commercial production in 1889 and a German company, Schimmel & Co., was the first to identify the primary ingredient citral. The first commercial use for general consumption by the wider Australian population is reported to be in WWII when the soft drink company Tarax used the leaves to flavour lemonade. Lemon myrtle is considered a traditional food of Australia and in the EU and has a listing in the CODEX Alimentarius for inclusion.

The Australian Aborigines have been using lemon myrtle in cooking, tea and as a remedy for cuts and abrasions for thousands of years. It is only recently that the medical world has shifted attention to find out more about traditional plant derived medicines particularly the affect on microbial diseases. Studies of Australian traditional plants, such as lemon myrtle have already found some surprising qualities in this area which continue to be the focus of research.