Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

CFS Confirms All Mooncake Samples Pass Safety Tests Ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

HK

CFS Confirms All Mooncake Samples Pass Safety Tests Ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival
HK

HK

CFS Confirms All Mooncake Samples Pass Safety Tests Ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

2024-09-10 15:00 Last Updated At:15:08

Test results of seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase) all satisfactory

​The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (September 10) announced the results of a seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase). The results of 186 samples tested were all satisfactory. In summary, all testing results for mooncakes in this project have met the testing standards.

A spokesman for the CFS said that the first-phase test results on mooncakes had been released earlier. In the second-phase surveillance, the CFS continued to collect samples covering traditional, snowy, ice-cream and other types of mooncakes from various retailers (including online retailers) and food factories for chemical and microbiological tests, and nutrition content analysis.

Chemical tests covered preservatives, antioxidants and mineral oil. Microbiological tests covered various pathogens and hygiene indicators. For nutrition content analyses (covering the contents of energy, protein, total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, carbohydrates, sodium and sugars), the samples were tested to see if they complied with the food labelling requirements.

The spokesman reminded members of the public to maintain a balanced diet and avoid excessive consumption of mooncakes as they are generally high in sugar and fat. Some types of mooncakes also contain relatively high levels of salt. Eating too much fat will increase the risk of being overweight and obese, while dietary sugar intake is a determinant of body weight and dental caries. In addition, excessive sodium intake will increase the risk of developing hypertension, fatal stroke and coronary heart disease.

He advised people to refer to nutrition labels of mooncakes, particularly on the sugar, salt and fat contents, to make a healthier choice. People should avoid choosing mooncakes with high levels of fat or sugar, i.e. containing more than 20 grams of total fat or more than 15g of sugar per 100g of food. As for reducing salt intake, people can choose low-sodium mooncakes, i.e. containing no more than 120 milligrams of sodium per 100g of food.

The spokesman said that people should consider their health conditions and consume mooncakes in an appropriate amount during the Mid-Autumn Festival. He advised people to share mooncakes with their family members and friends, as this not only enhances the festive atmosphere, but also allows them to taste mooncakes of different flavours and avoid overconsumption.

Members of the public should heed the following points in the purchase, storage and consumption of mooncakes to prevent food-borne diseases:

*Buy mooncakes from reliable outlets rather than patronising unlicensed hawkers. Check whether the mooncakes are properly packaged, pay attention to the expiry dates before purchase and eat them before the expiry dates;

*Store mooncakes according to the instructions on the package if they are not to be consumed immediately. Keep snowy mooncakes at 4 degrees Celsius or below, and ice-cream mooncakes at minus 18 degrees C or below, and consume them as soon as possible after taking them out from the refrigerator;

*Use an icebox to carry snowy or ice-cream mooncakes outdoors and consume them as soon as possible;

*Wrap mooncakes properly and separate them from raw food when storing in a refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination; and

*Maintain good personal hygiene. Wash hands properly with liquid soap and running water before handling and consuming mooncakes.

The spokesman also reminded food traders to adhere to the Good Hygiene Practices. Apart from purchasing food ingredients from reliable suppliers, they should also comply with legal requirements when using food additives.

"Snowy and ice-cream mooncakes, which do not undergo a baking process at high temperature, need to be handled hygienically during processing, transportation and storage to avoid contamination and growth of germs," he said.

Test results of seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase) all satisfactory  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Test results of seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase) all satisfactory Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Next Article

Hong Kong Introduces Measures to Support Exports Amid Rising US Tariffs

2025-04-10 20:01 Last Updated At:20:18

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs

The Commerce and Economic Development Bureau (CEDB) today (April 10) announced that in view of the reckless tariff imposition by the United States (US), including the further increase in the so-called reciprocal tariffs, the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC) will introduce a new round of enhanced measures to support the export trade in Hong Kong and help enterprises in expediting expansion into new markets.

The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development (SCED), Mr Algernon Yau, said, "The US has been repeatedly changing its policies, increasing tariffs within days and imposing the so-called reciprocal tariffs against Hong Kong notwithstanding that we have never implemented any tariffs. It is totally illogical and ungrounded, once again showing the US's bullying act for suppressing its competitors. I call upon the business community to unite and face the challenges together with a view to jointly counteracting the unreasonable coercion of the US. Further to the Policy Address initiative on increasing the maximum indemnity percentage of the ECIC to 95 per cent, the three enhanced measures introduced by the ECIC will help accelerate Hong Kong enterprises' expansion into new and diversified markets."

To support Hong Kong enterprises (especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs)) in coping with the current challenges, the ECIC will, with immediate effect, introduce three enhanced measures, including (1) extend the free pre-shipment cover for holders of the Small Business Policy (SBP) which is tailor-made for the SMEs until June 30, 2026; (2) offer a 50 per cent discount on pre-shipment risks to cover premiums for non-SBP holders; and (3) reduce the premium rates for new markets to be in line with those for traditional major markets to reduce the costs and support exporters in tapping into the ASEAN market.

Since the US's announcement of the so-called reciprocal tariffs last week, the SCED has separately met with the representatives of major local chambers of commerce, SME associations, and representatives of industries that are more affected by the tariffs (including jewellery, textiles and garment, food and aluminium industries) to listen to their views and discuss measures in response to the incident. The CEDB will continue to maintain close liaison with the business community to jointly respond to the unreasonable coercion of the US and provide support to the SMEs through various funding schemes and support measures, including the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme and the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales, etc in managing cash flow, enhancing competitiveness and expanding into more diversified markets.

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs  Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Government steps up support for enterprises in coping with US tariffs Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Recommended Articles