The agreement between Cameroon’s Cotton Development Company (Sodecoton) and the Pasteur Center of Cameroon has been expanded to include biological analyses. Under a new convention signed on February 16 in Yaoundé, the Pasteur Center will conduct physico-chemical testing of food products and water sources used by Sodecoton.
Mohammadou Bayero, Sodecoton’s chief executive officer, said the company monitors about 100 water points across the cotton-growing zone for staff health. He added that water used in oil mills must also be analyzed.
Ensuring the safety of cooking oil
Sodecoton oversees cotton farmers whose output it purchases. While cotton fiber is exported, the seeds are processed locally into vegetable oil for cooking. According to Bayero, the objective is to ensure the safety of the final product placed on the market. He noted that the company operates ten major sites where water must be tested, along with 40 secondary sites across the cotton zone.
The Pasteur Center said it has the technical capacity to carry out the required tests. Its director general, Mirdad Kazanji, stated that the institution operates a hygiene and environmental laboratory capable of analyzing food products. Sodecoton’s oil will undergo microbiological, biochemical and physico-chemical testing to determine its composition and verify its suitability for consumption. The oils will be analyzed before being released to the market to guarantee quality and consumer safety.
Strengthening internal controls and CSR standards
Sodecoton already operates laboratories within its oil mills, but Bayero said this setup is no longer sufficient to meet compliance requirements. He stressed the need to align with international standards and ensure inspectors can rely on the Pasteur Center’s technical support.
The expansion of the partnership is also intended to reinforce the company’s corporate social responsibility process and safeguard recently acquired international standards, including ISO 9000 certification. Bayero said the agreement goes beyond compliance with certification requirements and focuses primarily on the safety of staff and consumers.
According to the convention reviewed by Investir au Cameroun, water testing for Sodecoton may cost up to CFA3.2 million. The Pasteur Center already conducts biomedical tests for company employees, 75% of which are covered by Sodecoton.
Ludovic Amara
