Some Factors Affecting Quality of Crude Palm Oil Sold in Douala, Cameroon

Crude palm oil (CPO) is an essential ingredient of Cameroonian recipes. However, its quality is subject to doubt, considering the very often inadequate conditions of extraction, conditioning, storage, and selling in the fast growing small holder sector or in the market. This work aimed to evaluate the influence of seasons and containers on the microbiologic, physicochemical quality and the carotenoids content of CPO sold in Douala. A total of 194 samples of CPO were randomly collected in seven markets among which: 95 during the rainy season and 99 during dry season; 93 from CPO contained in opened containers and 101 in closed containers. In these samples, aerobic count colony (ACC) load, total yeasts and moulds load, peroxide value (PV), free fatty acids content (FFA), impurity level and carotenoids content were assayed.The samples tested had ACC load of 4.48±1.86x105 CFU/ml, total yeasts and moulds load of 0.30±0.14x105 CFU/ml, PV of 1.81±0.74 meqO2/kg, FFA of 4.30±1.82%, impurity level of 0.34±0.16% and carotenoids content of 756.41±110.67 mg/l. Also, none of these parameters had varied according to the market. Moreover, among these parameters, PV and carotenoids content were not varied whatever CPO is sold during rainy or dry season, in open or closed containers while others parameters analysed were significantly (P<0.05) higher during dry season or when the CPO was contained in open containers. Consequently, traders should make efforts to avoid CPO contamination during the selling. They could package it first and store it in an adequate space particularly during dry season.