The World Health Organisation published a note on September 8th revealing Cameroon is on the blacklist of producers and consumers of partially hydrogenated oil.

Fast food might be convenient, but it’s weighing eaters down in the long run, according to the World Health Organization. Researchers found that simply knowing your country patronizes fast food restaurants prompts  a 5.2 percent greater risk of obesity.

This oil WHO warns contains trans fatty acids  or trans fats, which are harmful to the health. The WHO adds these fast foods have no nutritional benefits and their consumption can be harmful to health because of the TFAs. High substance consumption increases the risk of death from all causes by 34% and is estimated to cause around 540,000 deaths each year .

To remedy the situation, the WHO invites Cameroon to put in place policies for the elimination of this fatty acid through a national ban on the production or use of partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient in all foods. Also the WHO prescribes a mandatory national limit of 2g of industrially produced TFAs per 100g of total fat in all foods.

Fast food is a rapidly growing business in many African countries. In Cameroon alone, market analysts from Euromonitor expect the value of fast food sales to grow an average 12% a year up to 2022 – led by burger sales with an estimated annual growth rate of 21% in the same period.

Fast food as the name says has become a life saver for most cameroonians. All leisure sites pick in on shawarma, burgers , pizza and fries as ideal item to spend a great time. Restaurant owners eventually focus on these foods condemned by the WHO to grow business and generate Income.

Journal du Cameroon Visited some fast food sites and spoke  with CEOs and consumers. “ I do not go a day without eating shawarma or burgers, it is a quick bite for me and it is easy going as compared to cooked food, i must confess it taste good. It is not the first time health organs warns on these foods but i still do not mind eating them” says Chanelle as she sits in a fastfood site in Simbock.

” I fully make  profit from this business, my customers seem statisfied with these items. True the Who warns but we need to keep our businesses open, opting for other oils will cut our interest rate short unless government does something about” Raoul Njong ; CEO of Snap eat explains.

WHO says Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Botswana are next in line. While fast food restaurants are still an expensive luxury for most, they are a popular venue for the rising middle class.