Dennie Quill, Contributor
FOR THE first time in my memory, ackee did not figure in Christmas morning breakfast this year. Whether I was home in Jamaica or overseas, sumptuous ackee married with saltfish or bacon was always present. Now several of the men I know are running scared of this fruit because of rumoured linkages to prostate cancer.
The incidence of prostate cancer in Jamaican men is reported to be the highest in the world at 304 per 100,000. Research done by the urology department of the University of Chicago seems to confirm that diets high in fatty foods like ackee, produce Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which promote prostate cancer development. A young Jamaican student is part of the research team that has turned the microscope on ackee.
As this scientific information gradually filters out, womenfolk who had hitherto pointed to promiscuity as one of the causes of prostate cancer in Jamaican men are having second thoughts. The result is that a significant number of men are turning up their noses at ackee.
RECENT IMBROGLIO
Then there is the most recent ackee imbroglio in the United States triggered by the recall of a batch of the fruit shipped there in November reportedly with high concentrations of hypoglycin. This has led to warnings being posted in the U.S. against a certain brand. I am not aware of any withdrawal of ackee from local groceries and food outlets, but if the ackee is unsafe for people in the U.S., I suspect it may be unsafe for us here at home.
Listening to the discussions, it appears that our processors are at fault for not following required standards since being allowed to resume the export of ackee after a 27-year hiatus. The Jamaica Exporters Association (JEA) says it had publicly voiced its concerns about processing practices within the ackee industry more than a year ago. So where was the Bureau of Standards? Isn't that the agency charged with the responsibility of ensuring that all processed food meets the required standards? So by ignoring the warnings of the JEA, a few processors of ackee have created a public relations nightmare for all the exporters and have effectively erased all the hard-earned goodwill that existed.
WONDERING ABOUT ACKEE
But all of this has got us wondering about ackee, this implant from West Africa, which has graced the Jamaican table for years. My friends like to say Jamaicans have tamed this poison and made it into a lip-smacking treat. Interestingly, many of our Caribbean neighbours have poured scorn on ackee, even labelling it guinep. Times gone, there were frequent reports about ackee poisoning, and although there are fewer reported incidents today, in many households young children are not allowed to partake of ackee.
Then there is a more sinister role that ackee has played. A newspaper article that I read recently gave several examples of people committing suicide by hanging themselves from ackee trees. Could there be something evil about this ackee that we have so lovingly embraced all these years? I don't care, because I love ackee and I intend to savour every bit of it during this season.
I was hoping that 2006 would bring more prosperity to Jamaica; it's beginning to look doubtful already. According to the JEA president, we have come to the end of a precipice and are looking over the edge. Take the ackee market. Farmers were encouraged to invest in ackees because of the lucrative overseas markets. It is estimated that exports of ackee reached US$400 million in 2004. It would be very sad to lose that market. Time for action if we are to save the industry.
As 2006 arrives, let us not forget that we are in fact standing on the threshold of new opportunities we must grasp them firmly.
Here's to a happy new year every day in 2006, and I beseech you to show a better appreciation for life.
Dennie Quill is a veteran journalist who may be reached at denniequill@hotmail.com.
