Smuggled mooncakes is a persistent problem

The Market Surveillance Force and Hanoi City Police coordinated to detect and seize nearly 5,000 smuggled moon cakes during the peak inspection period for the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival.

As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, Vietnamese authorities have reported a surge in counterfeit and substandard mooncakes entering the market. According to Nguyen Duc Le, Deputy Director of the Department of Technical Department at the General Department of Market Surveillance, many individuals are producing mooncakes using ingredients of unknown origin and questionable safety.

"The primary reason for this issue is consumers' tendency to prioritize low prices over product quality and origin," Le explained. "As a result, counterfeit mooncakes continue to be sold despite lacking proper documentation. Additionally, there has been a significant increase in the smuggling of raw materials for mooncake production, making it difficult to regulate the market. Even finished mooncakes are being smuggled into the country without undergoing necessary quality checks."

Through supervision of General Department of Market Surveillance, it has revealed a significant number of counterfeit mooncakes in various regions, particularly in major urban centers like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as well as border provinces such as Lang Son, Lao Cai, and Quang Ninh. Exploiting consumers' preference for foreign products, some individuals are smuggling large quantities of counterfeit mooncakes, posing a serious threat to food safety.

In the middle of August 2024 alone, Hanoi Market Surveillance conducted inspections and seized nearly 5,000 counterfeit mooncakes in four separate cases.

Typically, on August 20, the Market Surveillance Unit 5 coordinated with the Corruption, Economy and Position-Related Crime Investigating Police Department, Hai Ba Trung Police to conduct a search for 26 carton boxes containing 2,496 mooncakes from a vendor. At the time of inspection, Trinh Van Truong who was the owner could not provide any documentation. Previously, on August 16^th, the Unit seized 900 mooncakes which was smuggled.

Similar incidents have occurred in Quang Ninh, where hundreds of counterfeit Bibizan mooncakes imported from China were seized.

To combat this issue, the General Department of Market Survellience has instructed local authorities to intensify market surveillance, collect information, inspect and control the market to prevent and handle the trading of smuggled food, food of unknown origin, goods that infringe rights, counterfeit trademarks, of establishments producing and trading products that are widely consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival such as moon cakes, wine, beer, soft drinks, children's toys, etc.

Regarding mooncake item, in the period before the Mid-Autumn Festival, focusing on checking the origin of raw materials for making moon cakes; the use of food additives, food processing aids, checking product quality, conditions to ensure food safety in the production, processing and preservation of food. During the Mid-Autumn Festival, focusing on checking business establishments, retail stores in complying with legal regulations in the production and trading of moon cakes.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, focusing on checking the recall and handling of expired products that do not meet quality standards.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Le cautioned consumers to be wary of online purchases, especially for mooncakes, and to prioritize products from reputable manufacturers. He emphasized the importance of verifying the origin and quality of any product before purchasing.