(Business in Cameroon) - Charles Booto à Ngon, head of the Standards and Quality Agency (Anor), issued a memo on September 19 reminding bakers of the ban on using potassium bromate in production.

The ban was formalized by decrees from March 11, 2009, and January 6, 2000, as well as the circular from January 17, 2000, all issued by the Ministry of Industry. "However, some dishonest bakers make bread without having a certificate of conformity, defying legal and regulatory requirements,” the MD said. Reliable sources have revealed that bakers use potassium bromate not only to give the bread a golden color to make it more attractive to consumers, but also to increase the apparent weight of the product, thus appearing to meet the required weight standards.

According to Charles Booto à Ngon, the detour of certain chemicals from their original use is a common practice in Cameroon. This is the case with Ethephon and formaldehyde, which growers use to stimulate plantain ripening or maintain the green color of vegetables, regardless of climatic conditions or consumer health.

The resurgence of this phenomenon has recently prompted Gabon to closely monitor its imports of fruits and vegetables from Cameroon.