By Funsani John Scander:

Malawi’s bread industry appears to be in crisis, but we are mute. Just as Asa the Nigerian artist sang in her song “There is fire on the mountain, And nobody seems to be on the run; Oh, there is fire on the mountain top, And no one is a-running”, I humbly write to express my concerns.

What was once a source of pride—fluffy, aromatic and long-lasting loaves from memorable brands has been reduced to crumby, tasteless and perishable products that barely resemble real bread. Today’s bread is well-packaged but poorly made, costly yet low in quality, and seems designed for quick sales rather than consumer satisfaction. What went wrong?

Gone are the days when bread had a distinct aroma and could last for days without losing its freshness. The bread produced today in Malawi is often made with substandard flour blends, excessive additives and little regard for traditional baking standards. Many bakeries now prioritise profit margins over quality, using cheap ingredients to cut costs while charging consumers premium prices.

I concur with the view shared by Mr. D. Nyirenda in an article titled ‘The Shift from Wheat Flour in Malawi’s Bakeries: Economic Drivers and Consumer Impact’ (2022) who expresses his disappointment over the quality of such a valuable product.

It is disheartening to see that today’s bread is no longer made with real wheat flour as the primary ingredient. Instead, it is packed with fillers—cassava, soybean and likely even maize flour while only a token amount of wheat flour is added, just enough to deceive consumers. What was once the foundation of good bread has now been reduced to a mere afterthought.

Even more troubling is the inaction of regulatory bodies tasked with safeguarding food quality. Despite clear evidence of declining standards, authorities continue to allow manufacturers to mislead the public as highlighted in the 2023 Consumer Association of Malawi (Cama) report.

If bakeries insist on using these substandard blends, they should at least be transparent and label their products honestly, admitting that this is no longer the wholesome bread Malawians once enjoyed; instead, profit motives have overshadowed both quality and consumer trust.

During a recent conversation, a colleague at my workplace angrily declared: “I will never buy bread again!” When I pressed him for an explanation, he shared a disturbing claim from a local shop owner: When unsold bread goes stale, some manufacturers allegedly take it back, grind it up and reuse it as an ingredient in “fresh” batches.

If true, this practice is not just unethical—it’s a public health hazard. Bread that has already molded or spoiled could contain harmful mycotoxins, which are linked to cancer, liver damage and immune system suppression, according to a