Full Length Research Paper

Nutritional survey, staple foods composition and the uses of savoury condiments in Douala, Cameroon

Marie M. Kana Sop¹, M. Fotso², I. Gouado¹*, E. Tetanye³ and P. H. Amvam Zollo⁴

¹University of Douala Faculty of Science, Department of Biochemistry, Douala, P. O. Box 24157, Cameroon.

²Centre for Research in Food and Nutrition, P. O. Box 6163, Cameroon.

³Faculty of Medecine and Biomedical Sciences, Cameroon.

⁴University of Ngaoundéré, Cameroon.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: kanamod@yahoo.com, gouadoi@yahoo.fr.

Accepted 23 January, 2008

Malnutrition and micronutrients deficiencies are serious public health problems in Cameroon as in other developing countries. Proteins, lipids, crude fibres and carbohydrates content of 15 recipes selected after a survey of 500 families were determined. Total contents ranged between 9.25 ± 0.53 and 16.86 ± 8.85 g/100 g DW for proteins, 10.64 ± 0.9 to 35.72 ± 8.56 g/100 g DW for lipids, 5.57 ± 2.14 to 38.8 ± 1.82 g/100 g for crude fibres and 24.11 ± 9.21 to 62.05 ± 3.02 g/100 g DW for carbohydrates. Glutamate contents of seven flavour enhancers ranged from 2.83% in Honig poulet to 13.87 % (W/W) in Maggi cube. More than 74% of the surveyed subjects regularly used cube-type savory condiments and 26% of the subjects used monosodium L-glutamate (MSG). MSG use was widespread in spite of a national ban on MSG use and importation, indicating high amounts of illegally imported MSG.

Key words: Cameroon, protein malnutrition, lysine, monosodium L-glutamate, staple foods.