A recent paper by Williams et al. (2025) assessed the dietary safety of ganalay (Astrebla lappacea), a native grain traditionally used by the Gamilaraay Peoples of northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. The study compared ganalay with a commonly consumed wheat variety using laboratory-based biological and chemical screening. The researchers found no greater toxicity, inflammatory response or chemical risk than wheat, with contaminant levels well below food safety limits. Importantly, the research was conducted in partnership with the Gamilaraay Peoples’ Food Sovereignty Working Group, supporting Indigenous leadership in the development of culturally significant foods. The authors note this low-cost assessment framework could help bridge the gap between traditional histories of use and modern food regulation, supporting Indigenous-led food system development.

Read the full paper to explore how scientific evidence and cultural knowledge can be considered together HERE.