In a way, Rwandans and street food are like two star-crossed lovers, destined to be together despite the disapproving glares of society.

It's also like your rebellious friendship with the kid your parents warned you about, but whom you still like to hang around.

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Rwandans take their hygiene seriously. They&039;d rather eat at home or in a restaurant than risk getting a side of dirt with their meal on the street. This is why, compared to many other African countries, the number of street food vendors on the side of Kigali’s roads is considerably fewer.

While it may be true that many Rwandans prefer home-cooked meals, the vibrant street food culture in the country tells a different story.

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From bus stations to bustling street corners, you find motor riders and other hardworking individuals with limited time or money for restaurant visits, feeding on street delicacies including chapatti, mandazi, sambusa, roasted groundnuts or peanuts, and boiled eggs.

In addition, grilled brochettes and fried potatoes or bananas are popular street food options for fun occasions, found mostly in places such as the Biryogo Car Free Zone.

However, as Rwanda joins the World to mark World Food Safety Day, on June 7, it's important to address the concerns regarding food safety. This year's theme is, "Food Standards Save Lives."

According to the World Health Organisation, World Food Safety Day 2023 will draw attention to food standards. It is noted that foodborne diseases affect one in 10 people worldwide each year, and food standards help us to ensure what we eat is safe.

By and large, the WHO notes, foodborne illnesses affect 91 million people in Africa every year, particularly vulnerable groups.

Valid safety concerns

According to Dr. John Kagabo, a food specialist, there are valid safety concerns about the quality of the food sold on the street.

There is a high-risk factor if the food is not prepared or stored in a hygienic way, he said.

Children, students, and other people who tend to be drawn by the carefreeness of street food, he explained, often fall victim to untraceable contamination and foodborne illnesses. Food poisoning, also called foodborne illness, is an illness caused by food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or toxins.

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Kagabo advises street food vendors to prioritize the quality of the food they sell, ensuring that it is well-cooked and stored appropriately so as to avoid contamination. This can be challenging especially because many street food vendors do not comply with food safety standards.

Regulations set by bodies such as the Rwanda Standards Board are often not followed by informal street food vendors, making it difficult to guarantee the safety of the street food.

Regular inspections, training

Sylvie Iradukunda, an MTN agent in Kigali, believes that instead of shutting down street food operations over food safety concerns, measures should be put in place to improve safety without compromising on the convenience of the food sold on the streets.

She said: "We can, for example, have regular inspections, training, and public awareness campaigns to help vendors improve hygiene and food safety, which would boost Rwanda&039;s street food reputation.

"But above all, let street food continue to be an affordable option which provides an opportunity for small businesses to thrive as well.”

According to Emmiliene Mwitende, an entrepreneur who has been in the street food business for over 10 years, operating mainly in the Remera area of Kigali, most vendors in the industry often fail to take matters of hygiene and reputation seriously.

"Street food vendors just assume that people will buy their food anyway, and those who do buy don't ask for packaging or other hygienic protocols. It is as if the only objective is to make money quickly, with no regard for the customer's health. For instance, using the same oil to cook chapattis for an entire week is not just unsanitary but also wicked," Mwitende said.

"No one has ever complained of falling ill after consuming my food," she said, adding, "I make sure to prepare it in such a way that I would be fine if my own son came in, grabbed one, and ate it as well.”

Mwitende explained that, in her food business, she exercises the same precautions "as I do in my own kitchen at home,” with clean pots, plates, and ingredients that she "would gladly consume myself."