Market management officers inspect a mooncake production establishment in Đà Nẵng City and discovered 1,800 cakes without origin certificates. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI As the Mid-Autumn Festival draws near, authorities are intensifying efforts to combat the sale of food products with unclear origins, particularly amid growing concerns over the influx of smuggled, counterfeit, and substandard goods, including popular festival items like mooncakes.

The heightened demand during this festive period has prompted increased scrutiny, with recent inspections in Hà Nội uncovering significant violations, underscoring the need for stringent enforcement of food safety and hygiene standards.

Earlier this month, a team from the Hà Nội Market Management Department inspected two stores in Ba Đình District, uncovering a significant quantity of smuggled confectionery products.

The shop owners were unable to produce invoices or documentation verifying the origin and quality of the products.

Among the confiscated items were nearly 600 mooncakes lacking proper documentation to substantiate their origin or quality.

Authorities have also inspected craft villages to ensure that any violations impacting consumer health are promptly addressed.

In La Phù Village, Hoài Đức District, the authorities confiscated 240 mooncakes and 72 packs of wafer cakes labelled in a foreign language.

Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh City, and Đà Nẵng City are key areas with high purchasing power, prompting market management forces to intensify inspections and controls of business establishments to prevent violations.

A representative of the Đà Nẵng Market Management Department reported that last week, more than 1,800 smuggled mooncakes of various types were discovered and temporarily seized from shops on Kỳ Đồng Street, Thanh Khê District.

"Despite the presence of reputable production and business establishments ensuring product safety, some organisations and individuals continue to sell smuggled goods with unclear origins, which negatively affects consumer health," said a representative of the Đà Nẵng Market Management Department.

"Therefore, consumers should make informed choices by selecting safe products for themselves and their families," he advised.

Food safety remains a critical issue, with market management forces detecting and addressing hundreds of violations each year.

Specifically regarding mooncakes, fraudulent practices are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Vương Bá Dũng, head of Team 24 of the Hà Nội Market Management Department, reported that through inspections, authorities have detected some establishments mixing smuggled goods with legitimate products and stacking them together to evade detection.

Additionally, many violators operate from concealed locations deep within residential areas to facilitate sales.

As a result, the team has instructed market management officers to raise local awareness, maintain stringent market controls, and promptly detect signs of violations.

This approach will enable them to inspect and handle goods lacking proper origin documentation, which could compromise product quality and consumer health.

"Inspections and enforcement must be conducted rigorously and in accordance with regulations to ensure that the goods reaching consumers are of high quality and safe," said Dũng.

Mooncakes are a seasonal product, leading many small businesses to fall short in investing in adequate facilities or strictly adhering to food safety procedures.

Nguyễn Đức Lê, Deputy Director of the Operations Department (General Department of Market Management), noted that mooncake production activities began before July of the lunar calendar, with consumption peaking around the Mid-Autumn Festival on 15 August (lunar calendar).

Authorities have discovered some establishments using ingredients of unclear origin and failing to meet safety standards in their mooncakes.

As a result, the General Department of Market Management has consistently urged local units to intensify inspections.

In particular, the General Department has developed a specialised inspection programme for each locality to promptly detect and prevent the use of unsafe food products during the current Mid-Autumn Festival.

Regarding mooncake fillings, Lê pointed out that some establishments still resort to cheap ingredients and unsanitary processing methods, resulting in substandard quality compared to reputable brands.

Moreover, a lack of awareness among some consumers, who prioritise low prices over product origin, has created opportunities for unscrupulous traders to flood the market with mooncakes of unclear origin, posing potential food safety risks during the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lê warned.

To ensure food safety not only during the Mid-Autumn Festival but throughout the year, market management forces have collaborated with local authorities to strengthen inspections and impose strict penalties on violators, Lê added.

The forces have also partnered with businesses, associations, industry sectors, and local governments to enhance public awareness, encouraging consumers to make informed choices by purchasing quality products with clear origins and certified safety.

He also advised consumers to be vigilant about the origin and authenticity of confectionery products when purchasing online, and to consider customer reviews and ratings for those products. VNS