Assessment of the Authenticity and Detection of Fraud in Artisanal Red Palm Oil Sold in Markets in Douala and Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Introduction: Red palm oil is the most consumed vegetable oil in the World. RPO obtained from the mesocarp of the palm nuts is characterised by a deep red colour greatly appreciated by consumers. Its popularity has made it vulnerable to fraud, perpetrated partly to meet demands but mainly for economic gains. Recently, red palm oil adulteration has been reported in West Africa; the main suspected adulterant, Sudan dyes, had beenbanned as food additives by the WHO due to their perceived carcinogenicity. However, there is inadequate data from Cameroon concerning red palm oil adulteration. This study has assessed the authenticity of red palm oil and detected the presence of various adulterants in red palm oil samples collected from some local markets in Douala and Yaounde, Cameroon. In addition, it has proposed a simple rapid technique for detecting the presence of Sudan dye in red palm oil. Methodology: Red palm oil samples (N=86) were collected from some major markets in Douala (n=49) and Yaounde (n=37) and analyzed for some authenticity-related parameters (moisture content, acid value, free fatty acids), as well as fraud detection: the case of Sudan dye. Results and Discussion: Moisture content analysis of the red palm oil samples revealed a mean (range) of 2.21 (0.25-29.14) % with 85 (99%) samples being above the Codex Alimentarius standard value of 0.25%. For acid value, a mean value of 32.47 (range: 14.03-84.15) mg NaOH/g of red palm oil was detected. For free fatty acids, a mean level of 14.8 3 (range: 6.40-38.42) % was detected. Altogether, three samples (~ 4%) tested positive for Sudan dye and were considered suspicious. Additionally, the studied red palm oil samples were not authentic and were suspected to be adulterated with water (99%) and Sudan dye (~4%). Conclusion: For the first time, this paper reports on red palm oil authenticity and fraud detection in Cameroon. Water and Sudan dye were the suspected adulterants, requiring further studies and public attention.