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Why Jamaica's National Fruit Is Illegal In The US By Lindsey Reynolds Nov. 8, 2025 11:20 am EST

Jamaica's national dish, ackee and saltfish , is a beloved staple and source of cultural pride. But for many years, its star ingredient, the ackee fruit, has been banned or tightly restricted in the United States. Why? The answer lies in the fruit's natural toxicity and the strict rules from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Ackee is a tropical fruit native to West Africa that was brought to Jamaica in the 18th century, most likely on a ship transporting enslaved people from Ghana, West Africa. The fruit has since become a central part of Jamaican cuisine, and the ackee tree is so symbolic that it was named the country's national fruit. Besides breakfast dishes,

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