Market watch officers inspect a moon cake shop in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province. — VNA/VNS Vu Sinh

The Market Watch General Department will take samples of moon cakes sold to the public for tests to ensure the quality and safety of the products during the Mid-autumn Festival, which starts next month.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade will assign relevant units to do the tests.

The department will also keep an eye on homemade moon cakes, which are sold online and via orders. The origin of the products have mostly remained unknown.

In a document sent to market watch departments of cities and provinces nationwide, the department has asked localities to tighten control on the quality of moon cakes and children’s toys during the festival.

The market watch departments in localities will inspect the transport, production and trading of raw materials for the cakes to promptly curb the smuggling of materials without clear origin.

The departments will focus specifically on large-scale moon cake production businesses.

In addition, the department will strengthen inspection on the prices of the cakes and the recovery of expired products after the festival.

The department has also asked its subordinate units to inspect and handle violating organisations and individuals who sells toxic, smuggled and dangerous children's toys.

The units will check on the certificates of origin of the toys as well as other legal papers of the products sold at the market.

Violators, including toy manufacturers and sellers, will be publicised on mass media.

Moon cakes with many flavours are ready to be sold although the full-moon season starts in one month.

Many kiosks have been set up along crowded routes such as Pham Hung, Tran Duy Hung and Chua Boc streets. The cost of the cakes ranges between VND29,000-480,000 (US$1.16-19.2) each. — VNS