(Business in Cameroon) - The Ministry of Public Health recently carried out an inspection mission at the Douala International Terminal (RTC) in charge of the management of the container terminal at the Port of Douala. Reports from the inspection reveal that the fish products imported by Congelés du Cameroun (Congelcam) are not preserved at adequate temperature, according to a letter sent, on August 24, 2023, to the Congelcam’s CEO, Sylvestre Ngouchinghe (photo), by Minister of Public Health Manaouda Malachie.

In his letter, the government official informed that he had instructed a mission to assess the preservation capacities of the company’s cold rooms and to take samples for microbiological and psycho-chemical analysis. However, "I was told that this inspection was categorically rejected. (...) You are required to submit to the inspection and sanitary control of your facilities and food products for human consumption within a week, failing which you will be subject to administrative and/or penal sanctions," warns Manaouda Malachie.

Contacted by phone, Flavien Kankeu, Congelcam’s communications manager, says he is waiting for an “official notification from the Ministry of Public Health before reacting.” 

He points out that Congelcam has never opposed an inspection. "A few days ago, an individual claiming to be from the Ministry of [Public] Health came to Congelcam's management in Douala to inform us that he had carried out inspections with the RTC. He came to ask Congelcam to pay his mission expenses in accordance with his mission order, but we turned him down," the communications manager explains. 

433 containers of fish lost in a few months

This new case comes at a time when the company, which controls over 80% of the local market for imported fish products, is in dispute with the Port Authority of Douala (PAD). Since February 20, 2023, relations between the company and RTC are sour.  RTC is accusing the fish giant of "saturating" its terminal with 626 containers of refrigerated products. After several months of parking, the RTC ordered Congelcam to remove its containers. However, the company refused to carry out the operation, citing a malfunction in the port's cold chain, which caused the shipment to rot.  After inspection, 432 of the 626 containers were found to be of poor quality, according to Congelcam, which estimates its losses at around CFAF13 billion.

While the destruction of the spoiled containers is underway, a new shipment belonging to Congelcam docked at the Port of Douala on August 2, 2023. Initial reports indicated 57 containers containing spoiled products. However, the company explained that of these 57 containers "four did not belong to Congelcam and were in transit to a foreign country." After inspection by port authorities, of the remaining 53, "only one was spoilt and was destroyed," Flavien Kankeu claims.

Frédéric Nonos