The Editor, Sir:

Your newspaper on Monday carried a headline 'Cassava threat', with subdecks 'Research points to bammy whammy'; 'Overconsumption linked to illness'. The claims are:

i) "Among the possible long-term effects of overconsumption are blindness and deafness, the researchers suggest";

ii) "Several samples of bammy and undried cassava flour taken from four parishes in Jamaica contained levels of cyanide, which produced toxins significantly higher than the allowable intake per person";

iii) "Chronic consumption of poorly processed cassava products has been linked to several health disorders among individuals with low protein intake."

My conclusion from the information above is not 'Cassava threat' but that cassava should always be properly dried and processed, and that 'overconsumption' (whatever that is) in the long term could be unhealthy. My first point, therefore, is that there is a clear misfit between the claims of the researchers and your banner headline, which is sensational, misleading and non-factual.

Poor processing

Second, your article correctly advises that 'undried cassava flour' and 'poorly processed cassava products' may be unhealthy. The same can be said of many poorly processed products: ackee, dairy products, chicken, pork, etc. All these, if not properly prepared, may have extremely serious effects, including various kinds of poisoning. What has been established and can be confirmed by scientists and everyday users in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and all other consumers and manufacturers of cassava products, is that cassava, when properly prepared by boiling, heating and drying, is not harmful to human beings. These processes eliminate the toxins.

Maintain moisture levels

As a manufacturer of cassava products, I am aware that there are standards for moisture levels, which can be checked by several agencies in Jamaica. These include the Scientific Research Council and the Bureau of Standards. What manufacturers need to do is maintain the levels of moisture that signal that their product is properly dried and processed.

Third, there are many health benefits to be derived from the consumption of cassava. It is an important source of gluten-free flour for persons suffering from celiac disease, wheat allergies and diabetes. The fibre in bammy is recommended as a positive contributor to good health.

Fourth, your headline is an attack on the cassava industry, without any reference to the many non-food uses of cassava, which can contribute to rural development. These include cassava starch in spray starch for laundry, adhesives, pharmaceuticals, paper, textiles, bauxite processing and numerous other chemical uses.

To say the least, I continue to wonder at the way we continue in Jamaica to cooperate in the underdevelopment of ourselves. Not so long ago, it was coffee and coconuts that were bad for our health, yet when the true scientific situation was revealed, we heard how beneficial coconuts are to our health in every way. So it will be also with cassava.

Let me clearly declare my interest in this matter, as someone who has invested in cassava. My company operates in St Catherine, not one of the parishes mentioned in your article. We produce cassava starch used to make spray starch and dextrin, pre-gelatinised and oxidised starch. We also produce well-dried cassava flour used to make bammies, bullas, biscuits, bread, cakes, buns and other pastry items.

While my company is not directly hit by your sensational article, we abhor the headline for the damage it can do to an industry that can accelerate rural development in our country.

I am, etc.,

EVON BRODBER

Managing Director

Byndloss Starch & Agro

Products Ltd

brodzy@cwjamaica.com