THE ABCDs OF FIT AND SAFE ACKEES

THE ABCDs
OF FIT AND SAFE ACKEES
Prepared by: Karen A.M. Brown , Regional Food Safety Coordinator-NERHA
Objectives
Participants should be able to:
1. State the name of the poison in ackees
2. Describe how
ackees
should be safely
sourced/selected from tree, vendors and other
sources
3. Describe how to identify ackees that were not
allowed to open naturally
4. Describe how to identify ackees which were
allowed to open naturally
5. Describe how ackees should be for cooking to
prevent poisoning
6. Describe how ackees should be cooked prevent
poisoning
7. On picture presented or actual items, select the
ackees which is safe for cooking
Ackee Facts
 Ackee is our national fruit
• A poison in ackees is called hypoglycine
• The unripe ackees has very high levels of the
chemicals
• Ripe ackees contain some of the chemical but
in lower levels
• When cooked, most of it is removed in the
water that was used to boil the ackees
:
 Get ackees from good sources
 Do not reap/ pick unopened or immature
ackees
Throw away all unopened ackees that fall from
trees
Select Ackees which are
Safe to Eat
Buy /select
only those ackees
that are fit to cook
Purchase ackees that are:
 Still in the pods
 Wide open in pods (like a wide
yawn)
Examine and select fruits:
carefully, ensuring that they are
easily removed from
pods and are without blemishes
(e.g. razor/knife marks etc.
Cook and Clean/ prepare ackees so that
they are a fit to eat:
1. Clean ackees to remove seed and
the pink or reddish membrane
2. Do not force ackees open by
beating, squeezing and opening
with knives/razors
3. Keep ackees separate from all
other foods during cooking
including salted Fish
4. Cook ackees until soft
5. Drain all water from the
cooked ackees
Discard or throw away water used to
cook ackees as it is not fit for use
consumption
The water must not be ingested (swallowed)
nor used in preparing foods including rice,
grounds foods, dumplings and other foods.
Symptoms of Ackee Poisoning
• Symptoms include vomiting, stomach
cramps/abdominal pain, dizziness, diarrhea
and sweating
• If persons are experiencing these symptoms
they should seek medical attention
immediately and should have a sweet drink
while on their way to the health centre or
hospital