Hanoi enhances food inspection for approaching Mid-Autumn Festival
Hanoi authorities are stepping up inspections of food production citywide to prevent low-quality products and food poisoning while protecting consumers' health.
THE HANOI TIMES — Hanoi authorities have been proactively inspecting food safety compliance of moon cake production and trading facilities in the city following the rising demand for this kind of cake ahead of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.
Trinh Quang Duc, Head of the Hanoi Market Surveillance Department, said that the inspection campaign has been running from August 15 until October 15 to assess how businesses comply with food safety regulations for products served during the Mid-Autumn Festival in 2025 amid higher risks of producing or smuggling mooncakes of inferior quality and unknown origin.
An inspector from the Hanoi Market Surveillance Department on August 15 checked Dung Hai confectionery shop in Hoai Duc Ward selling smuggled moon cakes. Photo courtesy of the department
To ensure food safety during the peak mid-autumn season, Duc said that the market watchdog will step up inspections, focusing on mooncake products, mooncake raw materials, and mooncake packaging to detect poor-quality products in time.
"The force will focus on inspecting mooncake craft villages in Hanoi’s outlying wards such as Tu Liem, Hoai Duc, and Thanh Tri; in hotels and restaurants that produce and sell mooncakes," said the official.
“We will coordinate with the Hanoi Department of Health to conduct both specialized and inter-agency inspections. Key measures include stricter checks on hygiene standards, ingredient origins, labeling, and storage conditions, with warnings issued against moldy or expired goods,” Duc told The Hanoi Times.
Hanoi is combining strict inspections with public awareness campaigns to ensure a safe, enjoyable Mid-Autumn Festival, while media outlets spotlight both compliant and violating food businesses to uphold consumer rights.
All violations to be dealt with severely
To ensure food safety during the Mid-Autumn Festival 2025, the Hanoi Food Safety and Hygiene Department has set up two inspection teams to work with three-star or higher hotels in the capital that produce moon cakes.
“We have inspected 17 out of 20 targeted hotels after nearly a month of inspection. Most of them have strictly followed the procedures and regulations to ensure hygiene and food safety in the production of moon cakes,” said Dang Thanh Phong, Head of the department.
Dang Thanh Phong, Head of Hanoi's Food Safety and Hygiene Department (first left), inspects the moon cake production area at the five-star JW Marriott Hotel Hanoi. Photo courtesy of the department
Inspections found hotels generally compliant, with certified ingredients and proper documentation, though some lacked full hygiene procedures. All sampled mooncakes met standards, and inspections will intensify through the Mid-Autumn Festival to ensure food safety regulations.
"Hotels must even have a self-control process before putting cakes on the market. Products that do not ensure food safety will be traced and recalled immediately. We always take strict action against violations and publish the names and addresses of offending establishments and the types of products in the mass media," Phong told The Hanoi Times.
Phong urged consumers to buy only clearly labeled foods with known origins and store them properly, warning of more smuggled goods before the Mid-Autumn Festival. He called on local authorities to tighten inspections of food production, processing, and trading facilities.
Executive Chef Nguyen Cong Chung of Sheraton Hanoi Hotel.
The big day is October 6 (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month), but the moon cake market is already heating up. While the price of a box of four moon cakes at most popular confectioneries ranges from VND250,000 to VND500,000 (US$11-$20), similar products at the hotels go for VND500,000 to VND800,000 (US$20-32).
At the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel, Executive Chef Nguyen Cong Chung said the hotel will supply the market with around 3,000 moon cakes, mainly as gifts to thank long-time customers and to serve guests staying at the hotel.
"We always pay special attention to food safety. Therefore, the production process must be strictly controlled, and the source of raw materials used in production must have a clear origin. In particular, no additives are used in the raw materials," said Chung.
The Hanoi Department of Industry and Trade has also issued a plan to ensure food safety for the city's Mid-Autumn Festival in 2025.
Nguyen Anh Duong, Deputy Director of the department, has urged Hanoi localities to strictly handle mooncake businesses violating stall, safety, or security rules and advised the public to follow food safety regulations and choose clearly sourced products.
