Assessment of Crude Palm Oil Quality Marketed at Yaounde– Cameroon

Abstract

Abstract: This study was aimed at the assessment of the food quality parameters of crude palm oil (CPO) sold on the major markets of Yaounde city. Information on the origin of the crude palm oil sold therein was gathered from 56 wholesalers, that is eight per market. Twenty one (21) samples were gathered for the purpose of this survey, which is 3 per market depending on the main sources for the analysis of food quality parameters, namely acidity, peroxide value, water content and the potential hydrogen (pH). The results show that the CPO sold in Yaounde markets comes mainly from smallholders sector in Bassa communities and also from SAFACAM of Dizangue industrial sector. As regards food quality, the peroxide value, which was below the maximum level of 10 meq O2/kg, showed no significant difference between the various sources. The pH varies between 4.00 and 4.50 while water content and acidity vary from 0.10 to 1.13% and from 2.56 to 12.16% respectively. Based on these results, the food quality of the CPO samples assessed were of low food quality. CPO from the Dizangue plant proved to be of low quality despite its mechanised production system. These results further show that inappropriate ways of transportation and storage are the cause of the deterioration of the palm oil from the Dizangue plants.