John Myers Jr., Coordinator
THE UNITED States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to spearhead a study to investigate the cause of the unusually high levels of hypoglycin found in ackees from Jamaica.
The study, which will begin next week, will also involve the Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ). The exercise will be conducted over a thirty-day period.
The study comes against the background of heightening concerns about the safety of Jamaican ackees and the FDA last week issuing a recall of 31 cases of tinned ackees that were shipped to the US in November from Jamaica. The shipment was recalled due to high concentrations of hypoglycin. The FDA subsequently issued an advisory urging consumers not to eat ackees under the Ashman's label.
The BSJ, in reacting to the FDA recall, yesterday announced the suspension of the Exemption status of six processors under the Processed Food Regulations of 2002.
The JEA yesterday said the recall was based on a recent visit to Jamaica by a team from the FDA which had expressed concern about the safety of the processing facilities and the effectiveness of regulations that were in place. The JEA said it had raised concerns about the operations of several processors a year ago, but little or nothing was done to correct the situation.
CONCERNS
"Over a year ago the JEA made public its concerns with the practises being followed in the food processing sector by some of the firms producing canned ackees," Dr. Andre Gordon, president of the JEA said at a press conference yesterday. "We indicated at that time that we were unhappy with the practises of the processors in using only opened ackees over which they had no control for processing and subsequent export as this presented a risk of high hypoglycin levels," he said.
The JEA president said the organisation had also expressed concern about the methods being used to monitor the processors.
HURT EXPORT
"This has, in part, contributed to the current situation where a very public recall has been issued in a manner that could significantly hurt the export of ackees to the United States," Dr. Gordon stressed. The BSJ currently responsible for monitoring the processing of ackees for export.
According to Dr. Gordon, "We have come to the end of a precipice and are looking over the edge." He added that "more talk and inconsequential actions will not solve the problem."
Dr. Gordon said the JEA was currently in the process of developing an effective management system that will allow for more effective self-regulation of those involved in the agro-processing industry as part of the efforts to ensure the integrity of products being exported from Jamaica.
Jamaica resumed exporting ackee to the US only five years ago after a 27-year ban. The ackee industry is estimated to worth $400 million).
