Evidence of the Presence of Genetically Modified Foods in the Sudano-Sahelian Zones of Cameroon

Abstract

Concerns of Africans with transgenic foods and genetically modified organisms seem to have minor repercussions in general on the use and the commercialisation of these products on African markets and particularly in the northern sudano-sahelian zone of Cameroun. In this line, different crops (cotton, and maize) and some commercialized branded food products were sampled on local farms, markets and chops. Evaluation of the presence or absence of GMO was performed using labelling system, completed by the laboratory analysis using PCR methods combined with the electrophoresis. Amongst all collected items, sampled cotton of varieties IRMA L484, IRMA L457 and maize varieties ATP SRY (CHC 202), ECKEBIL (CLH 103), PAN 4P-767BR, PAN 5Q-433B and PAN 6Q-445B, were found to contain the foreign genetic material. Amongst processed commercialised brand products, 39 were found to contain genetically modified ingredients. Most were maize (glucose and syrup) and soya (lecithin).