How much are you losing to your baker? The answer may shock you

Bread consumers in Rwanda could be losing billions of francs to their bakers annually because there is no precise standard on pricing and weights of the commodity. PHOTO| CYRIL NDEGEYA 

By MOSES K. GAHIGI

In Summary

• Rwanda Standards Board’s Metrology department has put up mechanisms for ensuring calibration of measuring instruments so that accuracy of measurements is realised.
• Out of a sample of more than five locally-baked loaves of bread, not a single one showed the weight on the labels.
• The fleecing of bread consumers in the country has become so normal and it is only because local bakers have ambitions to expand into regional markets, that they are now starting to consider adhering to weight standards.

Moses Hakizimana, a baker in Kigali, enjoys his job.

In a country where most processed products are expected to meet set standards, bread seems to be the one commodity that even the bodies charged with ensuring standards are barely interested in, beyond the expiry date.

Recently, a picture circulated on social media of a loaf of bread having an expiry date of February 30. Much as this could pass as a simple mix-up of dates, it points to the leeway local bakers have when it comes to standards.

Rwandan consumers could be losing billions of francs to their bakers annually because there is no precise standard on pricing and weights of bread. It is one of the most consumed items in Rwanda with statistics showing it accounts for 3.3 per cent of the food basket and 1.2 per cent of all purchases.

As part of its consumer protection mandate, the Rwanda Standards Board’s Metrology department has put up mechanisms for ensuring calibration of measuring instruments so that accuracy of measurements is realised.

However, an official at Rwanda Standards Board said they don’t currently have a standard weight for bread.

At Ndoli supermarket, a popular retail chain in Kigali, the attendant is startled when asked if she knew the weight of the different size loaves of bread she was vending. There was no weight shown on the packaging of the bread. The attendant offered to weigh it.

The Safa Bakery sweet family loaf, probably one of the largest by volume on the market, which goes for Rwf1,500, weighed 900 grammes, short of 1kg, the standard weight associated with a loaf of that size elsewhere.

Out of a sample of more than five locally-baked loaves of bread, not a single one showed the weight on the labels.

“I don’t know why they don’t show the weight, and I really have never cared to know how much the bread I sell here weighs. Everything else is shown but the weight, maybe they don’t consider it important,” said Uwase Regine, a mini-super market attendant in Kabeza.

Of all the different brands of bread products surveyed none had consistent pricing or weight. Gift Bakery located in Kicukiro, makes bread in different sizes. Their biggest by volume weighed 750 grammes and cost Rwf1,500. Tushabe Gorreti the general manager of Gift Bakery said the loaf of bread was supposed to weigh 1kg. This means consumers unknowingly pay for 250 grammes extra.

“We are yet to get a reliable weighing scale that is specific to our bread products. I think that’s where the problem is, but we are working on it, we shall get other stickers that show the weights,” said Ms Gorreti.

In Rwanda, there is no precise standard on pricing and weights of bread. PHOTO| CYRIL NDEGEYA

The high consumption of bread in Rwanda is tied to the influence of Western food culture, especially passed on by Belgian colonialists. It is also a utilitarian commodity that can be bought by most people despite their social classes.
“I buy bread in the evening when I am tired and I rarely take notice of the weight, or even bother to look for it on the label. But sometimes I get a feeling that some loaves are lighter than they should be,” said Mutangana Peter, a consumer.
The fleecing of bread consumers in the country has become so normal and it is only because local bakers have ambitions to expand into regional markets, that they are now starting to consider adhering to weight standards.

Domonic Byiringiro, the manager of Gosh Bakery, who also sits on the committee of bread makers in the country, said they are yet to have instruction guidelines on bread standards.

“We should be having weights on the bread labels we take to the market, especially if we are to compete with other bread makers in the region. We plan to pick standard manuals this week,” he said.
Mr Byiringiro is as guilty as many other bakers in the market. Gosh’s sweet pain coupe white bread that costs Rwf1,200 weighed 750 grammes, yet it passes for 1kg; their brown bread which goes for Rwf1,500 weighed in at 900 grammes at Maranathan supermarket.

“Both products are supposed to be 1kg,” he said explaining that the discrepancy in weight was because the bread is weighed before baking.

“When we weigh it before it goes into the oven it is 1kg, it loses weight because of water loss during baking. Maybe we need to be adding a few grammes, like 15, such that after baking it is at 1kg,” said Mr Byiringiro after being asked why they don’t weigh the bread after baking so that consumers are not cheated.