Going to the moon for more revenue

[CarbonMan]

Reported on ST:

SINGAPORE - Singapore Airlines is selling mooncakes for the first time this Mid-Autumn Festival.

Each set of four mooncakes is packaged in a specially-designed gift box with SIA's signature batik print and features a limited-edition 2014 collectible magnet with the SIA emblem.

Prices start from $64 per box but KrisFlyer and PPS Club members get a 15 per cent discount for purchases made before the end of July. Orders can be placed during flights, online at www.krisshop.com and at SIA's lounges at Changi Airport. The mooncakes will also be sold at Takashimaya, Ngee Ann City from August 7.

- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/sin....TwKkfGIq.dpuf

[SilverChris]

For a moment there I thought those seated up front would get a treat...

[SQ228]

There was a moon cake menu card in my seat pocket on Saturday!

I was kind of interested and tempted until I read the fine print and discovered you either need a delivery address in Singapore or you need to pick them up yourself in Singapore.

Adding the price of a return flight to SIN and then spending 24+ hours in the process of collecting them, then having them scrutinised by our customs staff seems a bit intense when I can just go buy mooncakes at one of the hundreds of Chinese bakeries in Australia... Sorry SQ!

[bent]

Mooncakes are traditionally featured on slect flights to China and SEA during this period as a dessert. So I guess they want to reach out to more passengers who might be interested in a bit of Chinese culture

[SQ228]

Mooncakes are traditionally featured on slect flights to China and SEA during this period as a dessert. So I guess they want to reach out to more passengers who might be interested in a bit of Chinese culture

But that's my point- I am interested in this Chinese culture. They looked really special and I wanted some to try the different flavours. But unless I can get myself to Singapore within a narrow window of dates, they actually aren't being offered to me at all.

[Kyo]

Hang on, Aussie customs allows such an item to be brought in to Australia? I simply can't imagine...

[SQ228]

Hang on, Aussie customs allows such an item to be brought in to Australia? I simply can't imagine...

Yeah, we import heaps of foodstuffs these days. They are usually fine with anyone bringing in products made by reputable manufacturers bought commercially overseas.

What they definitely don't like are people bringing through foods made by their families, like homemade sausages from Sicily for example, or fresh fruit and vegetables. Raw foodstuffs like whole spices can contain insects, and honey that hasn't been filtered could still contain honeycomb which can harbour disease etc. They are often more worried about timber items which again can contain insects or their eggs.

I bring home chocolate, herbal teas, clear honey, marzipan and biscuits from Europe all the time and have always declared and never had anything confiscated. I'd reckon the mooncakes would be okay if they were from SQ (suggests a proper preparation process, not an unregulated bakery) and they have been fully cooked. Singapore is fairly well trusted and seen as a country with quality standards in place and often the origin of the food is what they can be particular about.

[KC*]

Hang on, Aussie customs allows such an item to be brought in to Australia? I simply can't imagine...

I heard that the mooncakes must not contain any egg yolk. My mom-in-law told me that they "scanned" her mooncakes and picked out one that had a yoke in it and discarded it after cutting it up to prove to her.

I'm not sure how accurate her tale is but I thought it would be quite astonishing to install mooncake scanners at customs!!!

[SQ228]

I heard that the mooncakes must not contain any egg yolk. My mom-in-law told me that they "scanned" her mooncakes and picked out one that had a yoke in it and discarded it after cutting it up to prove to her.

I'm not sure how accurate her tale is but I thought it would be quite astonishing to install mooncake scanners at customs!!!

Okay, I decided it is probably time that I looked up the official rule on this.

Quite happy to admit now that I was wrong- while you can import many foods into Australia, mooncakes that contain egg yolks are highly problematic and would most likely be confiscated by customs when brought in by individual travellers. There are postings online in forums from officials who confirm this and they will slice the cakes in half to check for yolks. All forms of cake are fine to bring in specifically excepting cheesecake and mooncake.

(It is possible that the four varieties that SQ are selling that do not contain egg yolks may be allowable, but I certainly wouldn't be putting my name to that guarantee!)

The specific problem is the fact they contain egg yolks and egg products are highly controlled. The following statement comes from the official customs document regarding egg product importation, appendix III and applies to those seeking to import them into Australia commercially:

Category: Mooncake

Requirement: Each shipment must be accompanied by certification from the appropriate Government Veterinary Officer stating that the inspecting officer has no reason not to believe that the following cooking process has been complied with: The fresh whole duck eggs used were immersed in a solution of 1 kg of salt water per 2 litres of water for a period of not less than 20 days. The yolks were removed from the eggs and oven cooked at 180 °C for a period of not less than 15 min. The cooked yolks and other ingredients were moulded to form the cakes which were then baked in an oven at not less than 180 °C for a period of not less than 30 min.

Source: http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets...7/2001-01a.pdf

Now we all know...

The good news for anyone visiting Australia during the festival period is that we have many fine Chinese bakeries selling mooncakes (especially in Sydney and to a lesser extent Melbourne and Brisbane) and while we won't let you bring them in, we are apparently more than happy to let you take them out!

[RHG]

I'm aware that aussie customs can be overtly zealous sometimes.

Many moons ago, i did bring in mooncakes and was honest about it and they opened up the packaging and insisted on dissecting the entire mooncake.

I'm not sure if the general consensus would feel comfortable about eating a mooncake that can broken up in pieces by a stranger.

But then, they recently allowed NZ apples so maybe they may change their mind.

Either way, maybe asian food is so unresistable as well.

[Kyo]

I heard that the mooncakes must not contain any egg yolk. My mom-in-law told me that they "scanned" her mooncakes and picked out one that had a yoke in it and discarded it after cutting it up to prove to her.

Useful to know - I had been contemplating ordering the double yolk last night