Tag: Ackee poisoning

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), unripe ackee and other parts of the fruit contain dangerous levels of a toxin called hypoglycin A. While the question of whether it is safe to eat raw ackee is complex, the short answer is that it is highly unsafe to consume any part of an unripe ackee.

Over 5,000 fatalities between 1886 and 1950 were attributed to what is now known as Jamaican vomiting sickness. The illness, however, is not caused by a nutritional shortfall, but rather by a potent natural toxin found in the unripe ackee fruit. This article addresses the common misconception of **what deficiency causes Jamaican vomiting sickness?** and clarifies the actual metabolic processes at play.