How to identify safe moon cakes?

Although the quality of moon cakes is better controlled, it is still quite… hit or miss. Homemade products and products sold on online markets pose a high risk of being unsafe. Therefore, more solutions are needed to control the quality of these products.

Moon cakes for sale on 3-2 street, Phu Tho ward, afternoon of August 29 - Photo: THANH HIEP

On August 29, at the seminar "Building moon cake brand through the Responsible Green Tick program", organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper in coordination with the Department of Industry and Trade, Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City, many experts and businesses said that participating in the "Responsible Green Tick" program will contribute to promoting transparency, ensuring safety and building fair competition, including moon cake products.

Easily identify safe products with the "Blue Tick of Responsibility"

Speaking at the seminar, Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City - said that the need for transparency and quality management is very urgent. There are products that are advertised flashily but the quality is not guaranteed.

Meanwhile, consumers, especially low-income workers, still have a need to buy moon cakes. If there is no solution to help consumers access safe products at reasonable prices, not only will the health of consumers be affected but the next generation will also suffer the consequences.

"In the dark period between transparency and fraud, the Responsible Blue Tick program is an effective solution. When implemented, any business that meets the standards will be given a blue tick, thereby helping consumers easily identify safe products, while creating a transparent competitive advantage for businesses," said Mr. Phuong.

Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan, Director of the Department of Food Safety, said that although the control of the origin and quality of moon cakes has improved compared to before, the risk still comes from smuggled cakes and fraudulent labeling, and uncontrolled homemade cakes. Although the authorities still take samples of moon cakes for testing, the risk from smuggled cakes - whose quality is difficult to control - still exists.

"There are still more than 5 weeks until the Mid-Autumn Festival, this is considered the peak period to implement the "green tick" program for moon cakes - a product with high consumption and of particular concern to consumers regarding quality, hygiene and safety. Moon cake manufacturing enterprises need to proactively participate in the program to enhance brand reputation," Ms. Lan suggested.

Mr. Pham Tuan Hai, senior director of KIDO Group, said that participating in the "Responsible Green Tick" program not only brings immediate benefits in terms of brand and consumer trust, but can also open up opportunities to participate in projects and orders from the State or official units in the future.

"If the products from the enterprise have met the standards and are in the recognized system, they can absolutely become a priority when selecting suppliers for public projects. This will be a great motivation for enterprises to continuously improve production processes, enhance quality and stick with the program for a long time," Mr. Hai expressed.

There needs to be a mechanism to encourage businesses to participate.

Also at the seminar, a representative of MM Mega Market supermarket said that the "Responsible Green Tick" program is being applied to the group of fruit and vegetable products. The results of periodic inspections from the MM system help consumers feel more secure when choosing foods with the green tick, because these are products that meet safety and quality standards.

"The program does not only stop at vegetables and fruits, it also expands to other product groups, creating trust for customers when identifying quality products right at the point of sale. If moon cake manufacturers participate in the program, the supermarket system will be ready to accompany, contributing to spreading safe products to the community," he affirmed.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan - Deputy General Director of Sundo Food Joint Stock Company - said that participating in "Green Tick of Responsibility" is necessary to further affirm the responsibility of the manufacturer towards consumers, clearly demonstrating the efforts to build quality products. "This is also the motivation for the brand to continue to steadfastly pursue the path of sustainable development...", she said.

Mr. Dao The Son, Phuc An Phat Food Processing Company, affirmed that participating in the program is not only a commercial issue but also associated with social responsibility, first of all to consumers, then to the brand that the business builds.

"Products brought to market must reflect real prestige and quality, otherwise they will cause harm not only to users but also to the business environment," said Mr. Son.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Anh, business director of Huu Nghi Mien Nam Food Joint Stock Company, participating in food safety and social responsibility programs not only enhances brand reputation but also helps consumers easily identify businesses that truly provide safe and quality products.

However, many businesses believe that the State needs to have more specific incentive mechanisms to motivate businesses to do business properly, instead of letting the market spontaneously compete unfairly. If implemented, this will not only benefit businesses but also strengthen consumer confidence in Vietnamese products.

"While reputable units bear large investment costs to ensure standards for mooncake products, non-compliant units can easily circumvent the law and gain short-term advantages in the market. This goes against the goal of building a healthy competitive environment," said a business.

Homemade products must also self-declare quality.

Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan said that packaged food products, if not in the group of health protection products or functional foods, can self-declare according to State regulations.

"This process is designed to be simple, to facilitate small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the market according to regulations while still ensuring food safety requirements. Therefore, homemade mooncakes can self-declare quality assurance," said Ms. Lan.

The Blue Tick Responsibility registration process is quite flexible.

According to the representative of the High Technology Association, in addition to the fresh product group, the "Responsible Green Tick" program now includes many processed and packaged products such as vermicelli, glass noodles, tofu, bottled water, etc.

In particular, the unit has coordinated with 12 distribution systems nationwide to deploy a "hands-on" solution through the Zalo platform, to update information 24/7 and support units to implement the program quickly and effectively.

Since its inception in March 2024, the program has so far involved hundreds of suppliers, 12 distribution systems, with nearly 3,000 products certified with the Green Tick of Responsibility.

However, according to Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, many units still do not fully understand the "Responsible Green Tick" process, and do not fully understand the meaning and long-term benefits that the program brings. Meanwhile, the registration process is quite flexible: businesses can participate directly through 12 registered distribution systems.

Even for new products such as moon cakes or processed foods, businesses can still submit their applications for review. After confirming the information, the management agency will issue a certificate, creating conditions for businesses to improve quality and build a sustainable green brand.

Mr. Phuong affirmed that participating and being certified with the "blue tick" will be a tool for businesses to make their products transparent, while helping consumers easily identify them. The "blue tick" does not stop at just a certification but also aims to establish a fair, transparent and long-term valuable playground.

"When businesses stick to and maintain standards, they will gradually be recognized, thereby creating greater trust in the eyes of consumers as well as management agencies," said Mr. Phuong.

Back to topic

NGUYEN TRI - NHAT XUAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cach-nao-nhan-dien-banh-trung-thu-an-toan-20250830000153019.htm