'Blue tick of responsibility' for moon cakes

This year, consumers have an additional tool to verify the quality of moon cakes when choosing to buy them called "Green Tick of Responsibility".

Delegates at the meeting on August 20 discussed the implementation of the "Responsible Green Tick" program for moon cakes - Photo: THANH HIEP

On August 20, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety coordinated with Tuoi Tre newspaper to launch the "Green Tick of Responsibility" program in the food sector, choosing moon cakes as the starting point.

"Green Tick of Responsibility" is the abbreviation of the Goods Quality Control Program in Ho Chi Minh City, implemented from March 2024 to promote the production and trading of safe and sustainable food.

Blue Tick Transparency Promotes Accountability

Speaking at the meeting, journalist Tran Xuan Toan - deputy editor-in-chief of Tuoi Tre newspaper - commented that the market is usually most prominent during the two seasons of Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year. Therefore, choosing moon cakes as the program's starting product will help activate the responsibility of production facilities and business households.

Mr. Toan emphasized that instead of just using administrative measures, the program will promote self-awareness of relevant parties.

Specifically, the program involves coordination between four main forces: production households, retail outlets, state management agencies (encouraging, supporting and supervising), and media agencies, in which Tuoi Tre newspaper takes the lead in promoting market transparency.

This strategy is implemented step by step: first moon cakes, then Tet gifts, aiming to change consumer awareness and behavior, while creating pressure for producers to improve their responsibility, towards a healthy, transparent and sustainable food market.

According to Mr. Toan, the coordination between the press, management agencies and businesses will create a closed circle to protect consumers - Photo: THANH HIEP

Agreeing, Mr. Nguyen Nguyen Phuong - Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City - said that the issue of moon cakes is hot every year, while the management capacity of the authorities is limited. "The program will help alert fraudulent businesses, forcing them to comply, thereby aiming to protect consumers," said Mr. Phuong.

Meanwhile, Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety - said that with a city of more than 10 million people like Ho Chi Minh City, it is difficult to inspect all food production and trading establishments. "The green tick of responsibility does not stop at quality certification but is also a playground for the community to monitor and encourage businesses to act responsibly," Ms. Phong Lan emphasized.

Homemade cake needs tightening

During the meeting, Ms. Pham Khanh Phong Lan said that moon cakes are a special product, with both large enterprises with modern production lines and small-scale establishments producing them seasonally.

"Giving a green tick to large businesses with high-value products is like 'embroidering brocade on flowers'. What is more necessary, according to her, is to target high-risk products such as "homemade" cakes that are being sold everywhere."

Director of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Food Safety warns that "homemade" products pose unpredictable risks - Photo: THANH HIEP

Ms. Phong Lan also analyzed the psychology of small-scale establishments: because of their limited scale, they do not dare or do not have enough conditions to apply for a "green tick". However, this does not exempt them from responsibility, because when they sell to the market, they make a profit, while consumers may bear health risks. The law stipulates equality in food safety, with no exceptions for any form of production.

"Once on the market, all products are equal in the responsibility of ensuring safety," Ms. Phong Lan emphasized.

The launch of the "green tick" from moon cakes is expected to create a ripple effect, laying the foundation for expansion to other food groups.

The ultimate goal is to form transparent consumption habits, forcing producers and sellers to self-regulate, thereby strengthening people's trust in food safety.

Discussion: Transparency in the moon cake market

Immediately after the implementation meeting, the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, the Department of Food Safety of Ho Chi Minh City and Tuoi Tre newspaper agreed to organize a discussion on "Transparency of the moon cake market".

The seminar is expected to have the participation of medical experts, moon cake production and trading enterprises and management agencies. The parties will exchange experiences and propose solutions to strengthen supervision and management, while strengthening consumer confidence and promoting business compliance with food safety regulations.

The organizers hope that the "Green Tick of Responsibility" will be the first step to help the moon cake market become more transparent, safe and healthy, while creating a foundation for the entire food industry to develop sustainably.

Will be expanded

Launched in March 2024 with only 6 participating distribution systems, the "Responsible Green Tick" program now has 12 distribution systems, more than 330 suppliers and more than 3,000 participating products.

The program's operations are based primarily on the principles of voluntariness, self-commitment and self-monitoring of participating entities. Participating products will be sampled for testing and publicly disclosed.

According to the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City, with many support solutions proposed by the participating parties, the upcoming program will be spread even more strongly, and the products participating in the blue tick have been, are and will be further expanded.

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NHAT XUAN - THAO THUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tick-xanh-trach-nhiem-cho-banh-trung-thu-20250820105245398.htm