Imports Resume for Jamaican Ackee Fruit

USDA’s Agricultural Research Service reports that sweet ackee—the national fruit of Jamaica—is back in the United States. This action is due in part to an ARS sampling plan to determine the safety of the product.

The ackee fruit (Blighia sapida) contains seeds that remain poisonous until the fruit matures. Because of the risk that unripe ackee containing toxic seeds could enter the United States, FDA banned the canned fruit from import in 1973.

After initial plans to ensure importation of safe fruit in 1998 failed, FDA looked into other alternatives. It has now developed a new statistical model to ensure safety of the product. Both FDA and Jamaican authorities have adopted the new plan, and FDA has again approved importation of sweet ackee fruit into the United States.

Ackee and salted codfish is considered the national dish of Jamaica.