China’s Toxic Mooncakes: Even Dogs Won’t Eat Them, and They Might Explode
Summary
TLDRThe video discusses growing concerns about the safety and quality of mooncakes in China, particularly during the 2024 Mid-Autumn Festival. Both humans and animals, including dogs, have reportedly rejected mooncakes, raising questions about the use of harmful preservatives like sodium dehydroacetate. Explosive incidents and deaths of ants after consuming mooncake crumbs add to the controversy. Additionally, scandals involving counterfeit and low-quality mooncakes, alongside a declining market due to economic struggles, have further tainted the tradition, leaving consumers skeptical and concerned about food safety.
Takeaways
- 🐕 Dogs refused to eat mooncakes, raising concerns about their ingredients and quality.
- 🚫 Commentators suggested that this year's mooncakes may be inedible due to the use of additives.
- 💥 In one incident, a mooncake exploded in a family’s home, caught on security camera, which shocked many people.
- 💀 There are reports of mooncakes containing sodium dehydroacetate, a preservative linked to toxic effects, which has killed ants in tests.
- 🇨🇳 In China, mooncakes with preservatives like sodium dehydroacetate and potassium sorbate have raised health concerns.
- ⚠️ Long-term use of sodium dehydroacetate has been linked to harmful effects on the liver, kidneys, and nervous system.
- 📉 Mooncake sales have drastically declined in 2024 due to economic factors and changing consumer preferences.
- 🛑 Fake mooncakes and food fraud are on the rise, with some brands falsely claiming high-end quality or misleading production locations.
- 🔍 Investigations found that some mooncakes from China were banned in South Korea for containing illegal preservatives.
- 🎩 Special mooncakes made for Chinese Communist Party officials do not contain preservatives, highlighting a privilege not extended to the general public.
Q & A
What is the main issue with moon cakes as described in the transcript?
-The main issue is that moon cakes, traditionally eaten during the mid-autumn festival, are being rejected by both humans and dogs due to potential problems with the ingredients, such as preservatives. Many people and animals, including dogs, are refusing to eat them.
Why did the dogs refuse to eat the moon cakes in the video?
-The dogs refused to eat the moon cakes after sniffing them, which suggests there may be something wrong with the cakes, possibly due to artificial additives or preservatives.
What preservative is commonly found in moon cakes and has caused concern?
-Sodium dehydroacetate, a preservative used to prevent mold and bacterial growth, is commonly found in moon cakes and has raised concerns due to its potential toxic effects, especially on small animals like ants.
What was the reaction of consumers to the discovery of preservatives in moon cakes?
-Consumers reacted with shock and disgust, especially after videos showed dogs and ants refusing to eat moon cakes. Many people expressed their distrust in the product, leading to a decline in sales.
What did a Chongqing resident discover about her moon cakes that raised concerns?
-A Chongqing resident discovered that two moon cakes she had kept for three years showed no signs of mold, which was suspicious. The moon cakes contained preservatives like potassium sorbate and sodium dehydroacetate, raising concerns about their long-term effects.
What potential health risks are associated with long-term use of sodium dehydroacetate?
-Long-term use of sodium dehydroacetate can harm the liver, kidneys, and central nervous system. It may cause symptoms like reduced liver and kidney function, seizures, tremors, loss of coordination, weight loss, and chronic lung issues.
How has the economic downturn in China affected the sales of moon cakes during the mid-autumn festival?
-The economic downturn, rising unemployment, and reduced gift budgets have led to a sharp decline in moon cake sales. Sales dropped by nearly half compared to the previous year, and many companies cut back on moon cake orders.
What scandal involving fake moon cakes is mentioned in the transcript?
-The transcript discusses the 'Mang moon cakes' scandal, where moon cakes claimed to be from a high-end Hong Kong brand were discovered to be manufactured in Guangdong, China. Consumers were misled by false branding and low prices.
What food safety issues are associated with moon cakes in China?
-The transcript highlights concerns about the use of preservatives like sodium dehydroacetate in moon cakes, as well as instances of fake moon cakes and other food fraud in China. These issues have raised concerns about the safety and quality of Chinese food products.
What actions have other countries taken regarding the safety of Chinese moon cakes?
-South Korea issued emergency recall orders for Chinese moon cakes containing sodium dehydroacetate, a banned substance in South Korea. These moon cakes were deemed unfit for consumption and had to be returned to China or destroyed.
Outlines
🐕 Dogs Reject Mooncakes, Raising Concerns
The video depicts dogs refusing to eat mooncakes, sparking concerns about the quality and ingredients of the traditional Chinese pastries. Despite dogs' natural inclination toward meat, they avoided the mooncakes after sniffing them. This, along with public reactions, raised suspicions about harmful additives in the mooncakes. Some viewers even tested mooncakes on dogs and found similar results, reinforcing fears that this year's mooncakes might be inedible due to excess preservatives.
💥 Exploding Mooncakes and Health Risks
A mooncake unexpectedly exploded on a family’s coffee table, causing panic and sparking online discussions. Many joked about 'remote-controlled mooncakes,' while others speculated about preservatives or expired products. Sodium dehydroacetate, a commonly used preservative, was highlighted as a potential cause of such incidents. Tests showed that ants died after consuming mooncakes, further raising concerns about the mooncakes’ safety. There is growing evidence linking sodium dehydroacetate to health risks, including liver and kidney damage, prompting future regulatory bans.
🎥 Scandal of the Fake Mang Mooncakes
A controversy emerged involving Chinese influencer Crazy Young Brother, who promoted 'Mang' mooncakes, marketed as a high-end Hong Kong product with Michelin chef credentials. However, consumers soon discovered that the mooncakes were not from Hong Kong but produced in Guangdong. The scandal caused public outrage, leading to further investigation, which revealed that the company falsely claimed Hong Kong origins. The incident raised broader concerns about food fraud and deceptive marketing practices in China.
📉 Declining Mooncake Sales Amid Economic Woes
Mooncake sales significantly dropped in 2024 due to China's economic downturn and changing consumer preferences. Rising unemployment led to reduced spending on traditional mooncake purchases, especially for corporate gifting. Physical store sales were down nearly 50% from the previous year. Factories have cut production, and major brands like Maxim’s offered steep discounts early, signaling weakened demand. The shift toward healthier options and the collapse of gifting culture during economic hardship played a crucial role in this year's lackluster sales.
🐉 Food Safety Scandals and CCP Negligence
China has experienced repeated food safety scandals, including counterfeit products like fake salted egg yolks and plastic rice. Despite these widespread issues, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has done little to address food safety. Many believe that the CCP prioritizes regime stability over public health, allowing food fraud and dangerous products to proliferate. Reports of fake rice and mooncakes with harmful chemicals continue to surface, leading to further public distrust of food safety regulations in the country.
🍰 Special Mooncakes for CCP Officials Highlight Double Standards
A photo showing specially-made mooncakes for high-ranking CCP officials without preservatives or additives circulated online, drawing criticism. While the general public consumes mooncakes filled with preservatives, CCP elites enjoy safer, custom-made treats. This highlighted the stark contrast between the food available to the Chinese public and the privileges of the political elite, underscoring why food safety issues persist without serious government action, as the ruling class is shielded from the problem.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mooncakes
💡Mid-Autumn Festival
💡Sodium Dehydroacetate
💡Food Safety
💡Economic Downturn
💡Fake Food Products
💡Consumer Trust
💡Additives
💡Hong Kong Mooncakes
💡Food Scandals
Highlights
Neither adults nor kids want to eat these mooncakes, so they were given to dogs, but even the dogs refused to eat them.
The video shows that dogs, usually drawn to meat and natural foods, sniffed the mooncakes but did not take a single bite.
Commentators on the video speculated that there might be something wrong with the mooncakes, as even dogs are rejecting them.
Sodium dehydroacetate, a preservative used in mooncakes, is thought to be responsible for their unappetizing nature and potential harmful effects.
Reports from a family show that a mooncake exploded unexpectedly in their home, caught on camera, raising more concerns about their quality.
Ants were reportedly killed after eating mooncake crumbs, which points to the harmful levels of sodium dehydroacetate in these products.
South Korea issued an emergency recall for Chinese mooncakes due to the presence of sodium dehydroacetate, a banned substance in South Korea.
Fake mooncake scandals have emerged in China, with counterfeit brands like 'Mang mooncakes' falsely marketed as premium Hong Kong brands.
Many consumers have shifted to healthier, low-sugar mooncake options as concerns over food safety rise.
Sales of mooncakes have plummeted, with factories reducing work schedules due to a lack of orders.
The mid-autumn festival saw a significant drop in demand for mooncakes and liquor due to economic downturn and changing consumer preferences.
Fake eggs and fake salted egg yolks are also being mass-produced in China, contributing to ongoing food safety scandals.
Consumers cannot distinguish between real and fake food, but dogs refuse to eat the fake eggs, providing a natural test of their authenticity.
Plastic particles were discovered in rice in Yunan Province, another alarming food safety concern in China.
Specially made mooncakes for high-ranking CCP officials are free from additives or preservatives, while the public is left with potentially harmful products.
Food safety issues in China remain unaddressed as CCP officials are shielded from the toxic food problems faced by the general public.
Transcripts
neither adults nor kids want to eat
these moon cakes so he gave them to the
dogs to see if they would eat them as
soon as the dogs saw the moon cakes they
rushed over but after sniffing them they
didn't open their mouths I don't know
what's in these moon cakes but after the
dogs sniff them they just walked away
without taking a single bite dogs are
usually drawn to meat and natural foods
but in the video this group of dogs
refuses to eat the moon cakes moon cakes
are traditional Chinese pastries
typically eaten during the mid-autumn
festival this suggests that there may
really be a problem with these moon
cakes many commentators reacted to this
saying things like I haven't bought a
single moon cake this mid-autumn
Festival if even dogs won't eat the moon
cakes why are they still being made
Chinese made moon cakes that even dogs
reject a dog's nose is sharp dogs can
smell
poison everyone's saying that this
year's moon cakes are inedible because
of all the additives today we're going
to test it out on dogs these are moon
cakes I bought just yesterday for the
mid-autumn festival from a supermarket
here we have frozen meat it will test
them together to see if the dogs eat it
look they don't eat it now here's a
frozen meat see just as I expected the
dogs won't eat the moon cakes honestly
it breaks my
heart in China Moon cakes are a
traditional treat for the mid-autumn
festival but this year they've been
labeled as trash that even dogs won't
touch leaving many people shocked in
another video posted on September 17th a
family of three was relaxing at home the
young parents were focused on their
phones and their child just a few years
old was quietly watching cartoons on TV
suddenly a loud bang came from the
coffee table the parents were startled
and the child burst out crying the
mother quickly picked up the child while
the father walked over to see what had
happened it turned out that a moon cake
had exploded the whole thing was caught
on the home security camera this footage
sparked a lot of discussion online some
people joked remote controlled moon
cakes others speculated this must be an
old expired moon cake it's all bloated I
ate one during the holiday and had
heartburn all night I swear I'll never
eat mooncakes again some also said I
haven't eaten moon cakes in years just
looking at the ingredients list gives me
the chills another person quipped life's
getting tough pagers explode and now
even moon cakes have a temper on the
internet there are many more similar
cases people are talking about sodium
dehydroacetate a preservative found in
moo cakes this chemical is used to
prevent yeast mold and bacteria it's
been widely used in China's food
industry for a long time because it's
cheap and effective it prevents mold
without affecting the taste so it's
often added to cream bread cakes
pastries yolk pies fermented tofu
pickles and moon cakes one commentator
shared that after some Mooncake crumbles
fell on the ground
ants ate them and then an entire colony
of them died this suggests that the ants
were too small to handle the toxic
substances in the moon
cakes further investigation showed that
sodium dehydroacetate was the cause
although the ants ate only a small
amount it was enough to kill them others
conducted similar tests by feeding moon
cakes to ants which also made them die
these findings point to high levels of
sodium dehydroacetate which can easily
poison ants according to Media reports
outside of China a resident in Chongqing
discovered that two moon cakes she had
kept for three years showed no signs of
mold the packaging clearly stated that
the moon cakes contain two preservatives
potassium sorbate and sodium
dehydroacetate the moon cake
manufacturer admitted to using
preservatives but claimed the levels
were within safe limits they also said
they didn't know why the moo cakes
hadn't spoiled in 3 years Studies have
shown that long-term use of sodium
dehydroacetate can harm the liver
kidneys and central nervous system it
can cause symptoms like reduced liver
and kidney function seizures Tremors and
loss of
coordination it may also lead to weight
loss and chronic lung
issues despite its widespread use in
China's food industry for over 20 years
China's national Health commission
issued new regulations earlier this year
starting on February 8th 2025 sodium
dehydroacetate and its salts will be
banned in starch products bread pastries
and fillings for baking Goods
in August South Korea's Ministry of Food
and Drug safety issued three emergency
recall orders they found sodium
dehydroacetate which is banned in South
Korea in Chinese moon cakes the moon
cakes came from Shenyang D shangkun food
industry company a well-known brand in
China however these moon cakes were
labeled as unfit for consumption in
South Korea and had to be returned to
China or destroyed
locally in recent years fake moon cake
scandals have also been on the ride
recently the Hong Kong mang mooncakes
controversy caught public attention
reports said that Chinese e-commerce
influencer crazy Young Brother claimed
during a live stream mang mooncakes are
a high-end Hong Kong brand over a
million units have been sold they also
have black truffle filling each one is
handcrafted by Michelin chefs you can
only buy them by queuing in Hong Kong
with 238 unen per box that is around
$34 many consumers believe these moon
cakes were the same quality as the
well-known maxims moon cakes from Hong
Kong to Consumers crazy young Brothers
low price seemed like a good deal thanks
to his access to Big seller Supply
chains maximum moon cakes cost between
238 and 322 un per box depending on the
variety meanwhile mang mooncakes were
sold for just 99 un for three boxes or
169 un for three boxes with such a low
price many people have opted for hang
moon cakes crazy Young Brother promoted
these moon cakes in three separate live
streams in the last 30 days sales of
this brand on doen surpassed 50 million
yen however consumers later discovered
that the moon cakes weren't actually
made in Hong Kong some found the same
product priced at only 59 un for three
boxes on other e-commerce platforms once
people realized the truth they became
outraged the mang moon cake Scandal
quickly became a Hot Topic as the
controversy grew people began
questioning the origin and quality of
mang moo cakes investigations showed
that the brand which claimed to be from
Hong Kong was actually operated by guano
mang food company based in guon Province
although the company is registered in
Hong Kong multiple agents told Chinese
media that it doesn't have any physical
stores there its production facilities
are mainly located in guano and folan
cities a PR representative from hu 3
gohost Network Technology the company
that sold mang muuk cakes told Chinese
media that mang is registered in Hong
Kong and was founded in
2019 while the research and development
happened in Hong Kong the production
takes place in guandong former Beijing
lawyer and chair of the Federation for a
democratic China in Canada Li JM ping
believes the CCP has never truly cared
about the lives and health of its
citizens in an interview with overseas
media on September 19th he pointed out
that the food scandals in China in the
past like toxic milk powder and Sudan
red Dy cause widespread harm yet the CCP
has consistently failed to address this
issue of toxic food he believes that the
ccp's regulations are just superficial
measures meant to deceive the public he
further argued that if the CCP genuinely
cared about public health it would solve
these problems but their inaction shows
their disregard for Citizens Health he
said for the CCP protecting the regime
is always the top priority that's the
real motivation besides food safety some
people think fewer moon cakes were sold
during this year's mid-autumn Festival
because of China's economic downturn
Rising unemployment has left many people
with less money a report from gmn news
on September 17th noted that enthusiasm
for mooncakes is waning data from
win-win Network a retail monitoring
agency showed that sales of mooncakes at
physical stores in the lead up to the
2024 mid-autumn Festival which was
during August 14th to September 13th
dropped by nearly half compared to last
year Revenue was down by 45% while the
number of units sold dropped by
41% sales of moon cake gift boxes fell
even further down by 49% on the business
side where companies and Merchants are
key buyers mooncakes are often purchased
as gifts large companies hotels and
Distributors typically buy them to give
to employees clients and Partners
Financial reports show that group buying
including mooncakes and donu make up
about 40% of sales however the tough
economic climate has hurt the
performance of many companies as a
result some have cut back on Festival
gift budgets leading to fewer moon cake
orders the report also mentioned that
consumer preferences are shifting many
people are now choosing healthier more
affordable options the consumption and
Industrial Development Research
Institute conducted a bid Autumn
consumption survey in which they found
that 40% of consumers now pay more
attention to healthier low sugar moon
cakes
this decline in demand has affected
suppliers as well according to Time
weekly a sales manager at a moon cake
factory in guano said that due to a lack
of orders some factories are operating
on a three days on one day off schedule
meanwhile some hotels have lowered their
sales targets for moon cake gift boxes
ahead of the mid-autumn festival another
report suggested that 2024 might be the
worst mid-autumn Festival in history
with millions of people Ching not to buy
moon cakes or liquor this year more than
4,000 moon cake companies have gone out
of business in Just 4 years data from
Chi chaa shows that from 2020 to 2024
the number of active moon cake related
companies dropped from 23,000 to
18,900 the Mooncake companies still
hanging on aren't doing well either moon
cakes priced over 500 yen have almost
disappeared this year and some 20 gift
boxes even come with a bottle of wine
even big brands are struggling according
to times weekly maximums moon cakes
which usually only offer discounts two
or three days before the festival are
already being sold at a 10% discount
this year not only that well-known
Brands like guano restaurant winga and
Kami have launched earlier than usual
promotions offering 10% to 20%
off in the past high-end Hotel moo cakes
were a face- saving gift for people
wanting to maintain relationships but
now with a weak economy and declining
gifting Customs even these once coveted
moon cakes are losing their appeal red
star Capital Bureau reported that a
five-star hotel in Hanzo set a 800,000
un sales Target for mooncakes last year
this year that Target dropped at 150,000
un a massive 80% cut in previous years
star related hotels sold Muk cakes in
huge numbers a morning tea service could
sell hundreds of boxes now it has been
reduced to only 10 boxes some hotels are
even pushing sales by making their
employees buy moon cakes what should be
a happy mid-autumn Festival has turned
into a mid-autumn disaster for many
hotel
workers it's not just the moon cake
Market that's collapsing the market for
BYU often given as gifts with moon cakes
is also struggling mid-autumn Festival
is one of the top days for BYU
consumption in China second only to
Lunar New
Year however earlier this year dang
Chong a senior official from the suon
alcohol circulation Association
predicted that buy juice sales during
mid-autumn Festival would drop by 20 to
30% many liquor sellers have confirmed
this they've told the media that sales
this year are clearly down compared to
past years some report that sales have
dropped to onethird or half of last
year's
levels it's not just moon cakes that are
being counterfeited food fraud in China
has also been on the rise in recent
years last September a video blogger
revealed that large quantities of
artificially salted egg yolks were being
sold in the market these yolks contain
chemical additives and were sold at very
low prices a machine can produce 100,000
yolks an hour would you still eat them
the Blogger asked in the video a machine
is shown making salted egg yolks a
yellow gel-like substance is squeezed in
a long strip which is then cut into
round yolks these fake yolks sell for
just 9.9 un for 20 pieces it's not just
salt egg yolks entire fake eggs can also
be
mass-produced I threw out all the eggs
inside and there were still five or six
left fake eggs just look like real ones
right look at this it's an egg but after
boiling them I realize the texture is
like an egg but there's no yolk inside I
thought okay one with no yolk is fine
but how come none of them have yolks so
I fed them to the dog look hey does a
dog eat the eggs no he doesn't people
can't tell the difference but look the
dog won't eat it but here this egg I
bought from the supermarket look the dog
eats it you see that the dog definitely
eats it people can't tell fake from the
real but dogs can you know people in
China these days you say they're not
creative look this one has yolk you see
the dog ate it he ate both the egg white
and the yolk you see that dogs don't lie
you know they can make eggs now but none
of them have yolks and taste the same
this is what's happening in China
nobody else in the world does this
Chinese people are fooling themselves
scamming their own people you could talk
badly about America or whatever but
you're not even treating yourselves like
humans even dogs won't eat fake eggs yet
they've caused serious harm to Consumers
this is the reality of the Chinese
Communist party
system according to Chinese media
residents in Yushi yunan Province found
plastic particles in the rice the rice
looked wider and had sharper EDG than
normal rice when heated it would melt
completely local market Regulators seize
13 bags of suspected fake rice and found
18.2 G of pet plastic particles
officials claimed this contamination was
accidental likely caused by mishandling
during Transportation but many
commentators are skeptical they point
out that rumors of plastic Rice have
been around for a long time in 2011
Chinese media reported that residents in
Nan Jing jansu Province discovered rice
grains floating to the surface of water
when washing rice tests afterwards
confirmed the presence of plastic rice
by 2015 reports surfaced that plastic
rice from China had made its way into
Southeast Asian markets including
Indonesia India and Singapore and even
reach Nigeria in West Africa a Chinese
Canadian writer Shen said that food
safety issues in China have been rampant
for decades almost no food in China can
be considered safe and the Chinese
Communist party has done little to fix
these
problems recently a photo of specially
supplied moon cakes for high ranking CCP
officials spread on social media drawing
widespread attention the photo shows a
package labeled great Hal of the
people's handmade moo cakes with a shelf
life of 40 days when sealed the package
also advised that the moo cakes should
be eaten quickly after
opening the ingredients listed on the
package include wheat flour sugar melon
seeds black sesame maltose and vegetable
oil there were no additives or
preservatives listed a note on the
package clearly states that these moo
cakes are custom made for the internal
CCP use and are not for sale in the
supermarkets or traditional
markets Shen remarked that the CCP
special Supply system is unique it
applies not only to moon cakes but to
nearly all Goods she said that CCP
officials and Elites are completely
shielded from toxic food
this is why food safety problems in
China remain unsolved the CCP Elite
never have to deal with these issues so
the government has no incentive to fix
them in the end it's the general public
who suffer
[Music]
تصفح المزيد من مقاطع الفيديو ذات الصلة
(開啟字幕) 曾志偉美誠月餅獨佔鰲頭,中國月餅茅台卻賣不動,銷情40年來最冷,降級消費的時代來臨了,202040917
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