Diversity in flavours and prices
Hoang Thi Trang, a shopper in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, says it is very convenient and super easy for her to shop online; after just a few clicks, she has boxes of mooncakes delivered to her home within hours, helping her to practice safe shopping amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ha Vu, an online trader, revealed that one month ahead of the Mid-autumn festival, her shop often receives more than 100 orders from customers in her residential area.
Regarding customers’ tastes, she said that in addition to traditional flavours, they are also opting for handmade cakes with crust made from vegetables or with fillings of mixtures of fruits.
The price of a moon cake ranges from VND30,000 to VND150,000 while a box of six or eight mini-sized cakes weighing 50-180g is sold at VND130,000 to VND150,000.
Hi-end moon cakes, including the 'Lava Custard Mooncake' imported from Hong Kong (China), are also winning much interest from Vietnamese customers.
This year, amidst COVID-19, popular moon cake brands also are boosting sales online via websites, hotlines and e-commerce sites like Shopee and Tiki. Bao Phuong, a time-honoured mooncake bakery in Hanoi, has been selling its products online through its Facebook page since early August. A Bao Phuong-made mooncake costs from VND20,000 to VND90,000, depending on the type of filling.
Be cautious of product’s origin and hygiene standards
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Inspections of mooncakes, and other confectionaries for the Mid-Autumn Festival will be enhanced as the festival is just around the corner.
The General Department of Market Surveillance under the Ministry of Industry and Trade warned that customers must be cautious while shopping for mooncakes, with attention to be paid to the origin and hygiene standards of the products.
Recently, the Vinh Phuc Provincial Department of Market Surveillance conducted inspections at food-and-beverage service establishments in the locality, and unveiled a facility in Tam Duong District selling moon cakes labelled with Chinese characters, but the owners could not show sales invoices nor documents proving the origin of the products.
As people’s shopping demand for mooncakes has increased with the Mid-autumn festival just around the corner, inspections of mooncakes and other confectionaries for the Festival will be enhanced nationwide in order to promptly detect and handle violations, thus projecting customers’ health and interests.
Customers themselves should choose mooncakes carefully to assure their quality and safety. The Ministry of Health’s Food Safety and Hygiene Department suggested clients buy mooncakes and other festival foods produced by prestige cake sellers and in stores meeting hygiene standards.
The products’ packaging must contain information about the manufacturer and packing place, instructions for use and preservation, date of manufacture, and expiry date.
