Popular mooncake manufacturers fail to list nutritional details, lawmaker says

Six out of 11 of the most popular mooncake brands do not carry labels listing nutritional details, a study by the Democratic Party has found.

One claims to be low in sugar but does not give figures.

Mooncakes are often high in fat and sugar, but some producers have started labelling their products as low in sugar without stipulating how much they contain, said lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming, the party's spokesman on food safety and the environment. The big bakers like Kee Wah Bakery, Saint Honore Cake Shop and Taipan do not print nutrition labels on their mooncakes. Maxim's and Wing Wah do, and so are 'responsible to consumers', Li said.

One of Kee Wah's mooncakes uses maltitol - a sugar substitute with fewer calories - but does not give other nutritional information. Wing Wah's low-sugar mooncake has 1.4 grams of sugar in a 23 gram serving, which Li said was acceptable.

He said manufacturers should not claim their products were low in sugar or fat, or high in fibre, just to attract sales, but should display information on other nutrients like sodium and carbohydrate - which are equally important to people's health.

'Although it is not unlawful not to have a nutrition label on food products until July next year, I'm disappointed that mooncake producers aren't being responsible to consumers,' Li said. 'If they were honest they would print 'high fat and sugar' on their products, but they surely won't. Mooncakes which are labelled as low in sugar but don't display other nutrition facts are a trap.'