Since the beginning of the seventh lunar month, leading confectionery companies have launched their new products. — VNA/VNS
HO CHI MINH CITY: With a month left until the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City’s mooncake market is buzzing as major brands launch new flavours, creative packaging and designs inspired by traditions.
Since the beginning of the seventh lunar month, leading confectionery companies have launched their new products.
According to Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, deputy general director of Sun Do Foods Corp, which owns the Sauvoure brand, market demand has risen by about 20% year-on-year but remains below expectations.
“To meet consumer demand, we have introduced green and healthy products in line with current trends, such as low-sugar mooncakes made with natural ingredients like lotus seeds, taro, coffee and green tea,” Ngan said.
She highlighted that the company’s signature 2025 collection featured designs inspired by Ben Thanh Market, serving both as a gift set and a decorative miniature model.
Similarly, Huu Nghi Food JSC has seen a positive market response this year, benefiting from stronger oversight by authorities, which has pushed out unsafe, unregulated producers.
Nguyen Cong Anh, sales director of Huu Nghi in the southern region, noted that consumers were increasingly turning to reputable brands that emphasise health and safety, rather than homemade mooncakes with unclear quality.
He added that the company was offering both traditional and modern flavours, including mochi and flowing custard “lava” fillings, to meet the dual demands of indulgence and gift-giving.
Producers are preparing for peak demand by stockpiling raw materials, expanding marketing campaigns, and boosting distribution both offline and online.
Traditional mooncakes range from 70,000 dong to 200,000 dong each, while premium varieties exceed 300,000 dong.
Gift boxes vary widely, from 350,000 dong to several million dong, depending on flavour, packaging and number of cakes.
Luxury products, such as mooncakes infused with bird’s nest, shark fin, or deluxe mixed fillings, continue to attract consumers in HCM City.
Unlike in past years, homemade mooncakes are now largely absent from the market, as producers struggle to meet invoicing requirements and consumers shy away from products without a clear origin.
The HCM City department of food safety has launched a three-phase inspection campaign: the first focused on raw materials, the second on distribution and circulation, and the final stage – after the festival – targets clearance sales, preventing expired products from reaching consumers.
“All mooncake businesses, from small workshops to large factories, must ensure food safety standards from ingredients to production processes,” said Pham Khanh Phong Lan, director of the municipal department of food safety.
She emphasised that online sellers would also be closely monitored, with violators facing penalties.
The city is also running a green tick for the responsible mooncakes programme, requiring producers to disclose product quality and origin, thereby curbing low-quality and unregulated goods.
According to Nguyen Nguyen Phuong, deputy director of the municipal department of industry and trade, most major mooncake producers have signed commitments under this programme, reflecting both accountability and confidence. — Viet Nam News/ ANN
