3/4 OF Liquor Sold In Cameroon Bars And nightclubs Clubs adulterated, Poisonous Stuff
A scandal is rocking the alcoholic beverage market in Cameroon. It was revealed by the Pasteur Center in Yaoundé, following a six-year scientific investigation.
More than a third of the alcohol served in the upscale restaurants and nightclubs of Bastos, the select wine cellars, and the crowded snack bars of Biyem-Assi in Odza contains dangerous amounts of methanol. 32.1% of the bottles analyzed exceeded the limit set by the European Union.
Spirits appear to be the most at-risk, while the majority of samples of local beverages—palm wine and odontol—exceed the limits tolerated by NAFDAC in Nigeria.
The health consequences of such a shift are real, serious, and long-lasting: blindness, neurological damage, liver damage, death, etc. This danger could further increase the economic and social burden on an already fragile public health system.
Lurgentiste.com – Conducted by the Pasteur Center of Cameroon and the University of Yaoundé I, the study, published in September 2025 in the Journal of Food Processing & Beverages, examined 106 samples of spirits, wines, and traditional beverages collected between 2018 and 2023 at the Mokolo market, one of the largest in Central Africa. It is also the most important supply point for tourism and leisure establishments.
Alarming but invisible figures
The results are worrying: 32.1% of the drinks analyzed exceeded the 50 mg/L limit of methanol set by the European Union, although none crossed the threshold for acute poisoning (2,000 mg/L). But the authors emphasize: “The risk of acute poisoning appears low; however, the chronic effects of repeated exposure to low doses of methanol remain a concern, particularly for heavy consumers.”
Alarming but Invisible Figures
The results are worrying: 32.1% of the beverages analyzed exceeded the 50 mg/L limit for methanol set by the European Union, although none crossed the threshold for acute poisoning (2,000 mg/L). But the authors emphasize: “The risk of acute poisoning appears low; however, the chronic effects of repeated exposure to low doses of methanol remain a concern, particularly for heavy consumers.”
Spirits appear to be the most at risk: some whiskies displayed staggering levels, reaching 415.8 mg/L, more than eight times the European standard. As for wines, nearly half of the samples exceeded 100 mg/L, with peaks of 206.5 mg/L for some reds. While these levels remain below the ceilings set by the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV), they highlight the limitations of controlling local fermentation and distillation processes.
The Blind Spot of Traditional Beverages
At first glance, local beverages—palm wine, odontol—appear less problematic, with levels ranging from 14.5 to 40.3 mg/L. But this observation hides a paradox: “Most samples exceed the limit set by NAFDAC in Nigeria (5 mg/L).” This undermines their local consumption and, above all, blocks any ambitions to export to more regulated markets.
Misleading Labels, Non-existent Traceability
The labelling section of the report reveals a worrying chaos: 13.5% of beverages had an incorrect alcohol content, 16% had no alcohol content, and up to 39% of wines lacked a batch number. Even more seriously, some producers assigned the same batch number to several different brands, which “suggests fraudulent practices or, at the very least, almost non-existent quality control.”
Health Dangers of a Silent Drift
Beyond commercial fraud, the health consequences of such a drift are significant. Repeated ingestion of methanol, even in small doses, can lead to digestive disorders, neurological damage, irreversible vision damage, and in extreme cases, blindness or death. The report notes that “the effects of methanol primarily affect the central nervous system and visual pathways,” highlighting the risk of a silent health crisis in a country where alcohol is consumed massively. In the long term, these chronic exposures could increase the economic and social burden on Cameroon’s public health, already weakened by other scourges.
Regulatory Gaps
The issue goes beyond food safety alone. Cameroon has no national standards governing the methanol content of alcoholic beverages. “The absence of specific standards allows the persistence of practices that are risky for consumers,” write the authors, who call for urgent alignment with international standards, such as those of the EU or the OIV.
A political and health warning
This study leaves no doubt: the methanol present in one-third of alcoholic beverages in Yaoundé (and even in Cameroon) constitutes a real and lasting health risk. This invisible poison infiltrates the daily lives of Cameroonians, exacerbating neurological disorders and visual impairments, and adding to the already heavy burden on the healthcare system.
Yet, Cameroon remains without a regulatory framework or effective oversight of this issue, even though international standards have existed for decades. The rapidly expanding market combines formal and informal industries, but nobody effectively guarantees consumer safety on the ground.
The weak sanctions and lack of oversight, along with the lack of clear standards, create fertile ground for fraud, negligence, and dangerous practices, exposing millions of consumers to a slow and silent poison. In reality, this scandal tarnishes a chain of responsibilities: producers, distributors, regulatory authorities, and legislators.
The issue is simple: without urgent regulatory reform, Cameroon’s public health is doomed to pay a high price—not for a spectacular and high-profile crisis, but for a silent, progressive, and deadly epidemic.
Cameroon: A Heavy Alcohol Consumer… Without a Filter
Alcohol consumption in Cameroon is colossal: nearly 1.9 billion litres of alcoholic beverages are consumed each year, according to an estimate combining data from the WHO, the World Bank, and local producers.
Beer dominates by far, with approximately 1.59 billion litres per year, or more than 80% of the total volume. The Société anonyme des boissons du Cameroun (SABC, Castel group) alone claimed sales of 1.1 billion litres in 2023.
Spirits represent approximately 83 million litres, compared to 111 million litres for wine, of which nearly 11.2 million litres will be imported in 2023, worth 22.3 billion CFA francs. Traditional beverages (palm wine, odontol) complete this picture, with consumption estimated at 111 million litres, although this is very poorly documented.
In total, local production covers more than half of national consumption, while imports—concentrated on wines and liqueurs—represent less than 1% of the volume, but a much larger value share.
