Be cautious about food safety issues.

The season is over, so we're clearing out our stock – super cheap mooncakes!

These days, on many streets in Hanoi , it's not difficult to spot stalls displaying signs that say "premium mooncakes at drastically reduced prices," with prices slashed to rock bottom, yet still lacking buyers.

According to a reporter from Kinh tế & Đô thị (Economy & Urban Affairs), at a makeshift market in Dan Phuong district, Hanoi, unsold mooncakes (sticky rice mooncakes and baked mooncakes) were being sold at a uniform price of 25,000 VND per piece (large size - 400 grams).

Although the product information, manufacturer, expiration date, and labels on each cake are vague, general, and unclear regarding origin and food safety, consumers here don't seem to care much and still choose them without hesitation because everyone prefers cheap products.

A mooncake stall in Hanoi displaying a sign that read "High-end mooncakes on sale" was deserted.

According to vendors, most of these ultra-cheap mooncakes are "near their expiration date." Because the Mid-Autumn Festival season is over, manufacturers are clearing out their stock; however, the products are still guaranteed to be safe and of good quality for consumers.

According to Dang Thanh Phong, head of the Hanoi Food Safety and Hygiene Department, during the recent Mid-Autumn Festival, the city's food safety inspection teams checked raw materials, facilities, the entire production and processing process, personal hygiene, and the knowledge of mooncake producers.

In addition, the inspection teams also checked legal documents, business conditions, and mooncake production. The inspections revealed that many places had seriously implemented regulations on ensuring hygiene and food safety.

"However, the most worrying issue right now is the proliferation of 'ultra-cheap' mooncakes of unknown origin and without expiration dates, which are being sold indiscriminately on the market, especially online, and are very difficult to control," Mr. Dang Thanh Phong stated.

Beware of heavily discounted cakes.

Regarding this issue, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh - former staff member of the Institute of Biotechnology - Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology - said that mooncakes need to be stored at standard temperatures to avoid spoilage within their expiration date.

However, nowadays, most mooncake stalls are located outdoors, exposed to the sun all day. If not properly stored, this can affect the quality and health of consumers. Mold can develop in these conditions.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh advises that after the Mid-Autumn Festival, consumers should be aware of "clearance" mooncakes, check for expiration dates and signs of spoilage, and carefully examine the packaging for mold. The risk of food poisoning from moldy mooncakes is extremely high.

Dang Thanh Phong, head of the Hanoi Food Safety and Hygiene Department and leader of Inspection Team No. 1, inspects a mooncake production facility at a hotel in Hanoi.

"To ensure safety, consumers should be cautious with heavily discounted cakes. They shouldn't be tempted by low prices; the first criterion should be health safety. When buying, use your senses to check the color and smell of the cakes to avoid buying expired or nearly expired cakes, those that are spoiled, moldy, or of poor quality," Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh noted.

Sharing the same view, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam - former Deputy Director of the National Institute of Nutrition - said that to produce a mooncake, especially those with mixed fillings, many different ingredients are needed, such as: flour, sugar, eggs, meat, sausage, cured sausage, etc.

However, with mooncakes sold at such low prices, it's difficult to guarantee their quality. If the production facilities don't maintain hygiene, it can create favorable conditions for microorganisms to thrive, harming health. Therefore, mooncake producers need to adhere to criteria regarding food safety, factory conditions, ingredients, and clearly stated expiration dates.

"Currently, cheap mooncakes are appearing on the market, and people need to be wary of potential harmful elements such as preservatives, toxic food coloring, and internal spoilage," Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lam noted.

The Food Safety Department of the Ministry of Health advises consumers that purchased cakes should be stored according to the manufacturer's instructions on the product label in a clean, covered place to protect them from dust, rain, sunlight, and insects. In particular, people should only eat cakes that are within their expiration date, are not deformed, have intact packaging, do not have unusual colors, and do not have strange odors.

Everyone should remember to wash their hands thoroughly before cutting, dividing, and eating the mooncakes; avoid eating too many mooncakes and other foods rich in protein, fat, and sugar that are often found in them to prevent digestive disorders.

 

Mooncakes spoil easily if left for too long at temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius or higher. This temperature is ideal for bacteria to multiply and easily penetrate the cakes, causing them to spoil and become moldy.

Homemade mooncakes, which typically don't contain preservatives, have an average shelf life of only 7 days. Specifically, baked mooncakes last 7 days, while soft mooncakes last 4 days.

For store-bought mooncakes, thanks to a small amount of preservatives (these must be on the list of permitted substances by the Ministry of Health), the average shelf life is usually about 3 months.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Duy Thinh - former staff member of the Institute of Biotechnology and Food Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology

Source: https://kinhtedothi.vn/banh-trung-thu-dai-ha-gia-can-date-can-trong-van-de-an-toan-thuc-pham.html