May 14, 2010
Rogue Ackee Processors Disappear With Unfit Canned Ackee
The Bureau of Standards Jamaica (BSJ) issued a warning yesterday, warning members of the public – particularly retailers and hoteliers – to be on the alert when purchasing ackees in brine (canned ackee).
The advisory was issued in wake of the disappearance earlier this week, of 40 cases of processed ackee that are not fit for consumption. The missing canned ackees were packaged by Santa Cruz Processors in Braes River, St. Elizabeth, which failed a recent inspection by the BSJ. The company was found to be operating in violation of the Processed Foods Act. According to the BSJ, they confiscated all the ackee that was found at the factory during an inspection, and all were stickered with a notice of detention. The canned ackees were however gone by the time BSJ officers returned to take them away.
According to the BSJ warning, “These products are not coded or tested, and the Bureau of Standards Jamaica cannot guarantee their wholesomeness …. The company is, therefore, not authorised to process canned ackees in brine for distribution or sale, and its products are unsafe for consumption and should not be traded.”
Santa Cruz Processors has reportedly been operating illegally for several months, and its principals are said to be in hiding at this time.