Mooncake market: Be careful with processed goods

(Baonghean) -There is still more than a month to go until the Mid-Autumn Festival, but more than two weeks ago, moon cakes were already on sale in the market. Few customers bought them for personal use or as gifts, mainly wholesale to districts and towns. What is worth mentioning is that low-quality processed goods have the opportunity to be released into the market.

Branded goods "increase" price by 10-20%

At Quynh Lien confectionery store on Herman Street (Vinh City), 2 weeks ago, a poster board introducing Kinh Do moon cakes was displayed. But the cakes are not only from this company, but also products from other brands such as Bibica and Huu Nghi. Mr. Quynh, the store owner, said: This year's prices have increased by 10-20% compared to last year. The main reason is the increase in input material prices, in addition to the cost of labor, transportation, etc.

Ms. Lan, owner of a candy store on Nguyen Phong Sac Street (Vinh City), said: Kinh Do cakes appeared on the market the earliest. This year, this company launched its products 2 weeks earlier than every year with a good after-sales program, an average discount of 15%. If sales are higher, they will receive a more attractive discount. This year, Kinh Do has improved its taste with moderate sweetness and fat content and the cake weight is also smaller. In addition, this company has launched a new product, the new green moon cake, made from 100% natural plant ingredients, delicious but healthy, suitable for those who are on a diet and especially vegetarians.

Currently, Kinh Do's product prices have increased by 20% compared to last year, and it is the brand with the highest prices today. The product with the most "huge" price is the Phu Quy 4-cake Golden Moon collection, 200g/cake, along with 4 70ml bird's nest bottles priced at 1.4 million VND. Also belonging to the product line for high-income people, intended for gifts, is the 800g Jambon fish-flavored baked cake with 4 eggs, priced at 295,000 VND. The popular products are the 250g Jambon mixed sticky rice cake with 1 egg, priced at 48,000 VND, and the 200g coconut-ceramic sticky rice cake with 1 egg, priced at 32,000 VND...

Also a brand that has long been known to Vinh city consumers is Huong Phuc bakery. Currently, Huong Phuc has launched moon cakes, however, like every year, currently only soft cakes are available, while baked cakes will only be produced close to the Mid-Autumn Festival.

This year's moon cake market starts earlier than every year.

Beware of processed goods

When branded goods are expensive, to satisfy a segment of people with low incomes, fake goods and low-quality processed goods have the opportunity to hit the market. Walking around the confectionery area of ​​Vinh market, along Le Huan street, processed moon cakes are displayed everywhere. The goods here are mainly sold wholesale to retail outlets in rural markets. The cakes are brought to the district, so they are mainly from private, nameless production facilities produced in other provinces at cheap prices, only 1/3, 1/4 of the price of branded goods. At a cake stall in Vinh market, picking up some moon cakes and baked cakes, we saw that there was no production date, some cakes had a 1-month expiration date but also no production date, brought from other provinces. When we asked about buying a large quantity of cakes to sell in the district, the shop owner happily invited us: You look at the goods and then order. I have a vehicle to transport them, just charge a little extra for gas. However, when we wondered why there was no expiration date, the owner immediately said: It's simple, when you get the goods, I'll print it on the cake box (?)

And not only products for the rural market, but also fake moon cakes, "three no" cakes (no expiration date, no brand, no production address) have also been popular since the beginning of the season. Even many points of sale in the central area of ​​Hung Dung market hang signs of the brands Bibica, Huu Nghi, Kinh Do but in fact sell mixed cakes of small establishments, cakes of poor quality. Ms. H - Owner of a candy store in Hung Dung market said that even in the city, not everyone has the money to buy branded cakes for their children at expensive prices like today. That is why, for many years now, she has been taking processed goods and attracting a large number of customers. Looking closely, you can see that the cakes are from an unknown establishment but are packaged quite beautifully.

Like many other consumers, we are concerned when the expiration date of many cakes is up to 2 months but the packaging says no preservatives are used?

Talking to us about the current shortcomings in the production and trading of moon cakes, Mr. Tran Van Dien, Department of Market Management, said: It is not that we do not know about the violations, but many times when our brothers inspect, suspect, and want to impose a fine and confiscate the goods, we have to inspect the goods, send samples all the way to Hanoi, and wait. If the conclusion is that the goods are in violation, there is nothing to say, on the contrary, they are sued for losing their business opportunities. However, launching inspections on this occasion also partly limits the violations.

Currently, to strengthen the inspection of goods during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Department of Food Safety and Hygiene and Market Management has also planned inspections. In localities, specialized agencies and departments have also made movements. Hopefully, in order for children to gather with their families and friends to enjoy meaningful moon cakes, as well as to create a legal corridor and a healthy business environment, there should be sanctions to strictly handle violations of food safety and hygiene.

Thu Huyen