Consumer Council has compared 5 different categories of mooncakes for their contents of fat, calories and sucrose. (23 September 1999)

Virtually all mooncakes are sweet and greasy - and absolutely delectable. To many, Mid-Autumn Festival will not be the same without mooncakes.

In a test, the Consumer Council has compared 5 different categories of mooncakes for their contents of fat, calories and sucrose. The samples comprised: the traditional double-egg-yolk-lotus-seed-paste mooncakes, snowy mooncake, Chiu Chau mooncakes, vegetarian mooncakes and mooncakes with low-sugar and health claims.

The samples were so chosen to offer a wide choice for consumers of varying preferences and needs.

The test has unveiled some interesting insights and food for thought before you indulge in this once-in-a-year festive delight :

1. Do you know how much fat and calories there is in a single mooncake?

According to the test, the fat contents of the samples ranged from the lowest of 15% to the highest of 28.1% by weight.

This means that you need only to consume half a traditional mooncake of double egg yolk lotus seed paste to get the equivalent amount of fat in a meal, i.e. one-third of its Daily Recommended Intake (DRI). o_O

In the case of one Chiu Chau mooncake sample which had the highest fat content, the consumption of 86 g (about the size of a mini-mooncake) is enough to reach one-third of the DRI of fat. The high fat content in this sample is probably due to the ingredients used for the puff pastry and stuffing inside.

As far as calories are concerned, the samples ranged from 351 kcal to 460 kcal of energy per 100g of mooncake. The "snowy" mooncakes had the least among the samples - an average of 358 kcal compared with 424 kcal in traditional mooncakes. Generally speaking, the less fat and sucrose a mooncake contains, the less calories it will have.

2. What about the cholesterol in mooncakes?

Salted egg yolks in mooncakes are a source of high cholesterol. High cholesterol intake is known to be related to heart and cardiovascular diseases. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the daily intake of cholesterol should be controlled at below 300 mg.

An egg yolk (of 15 g) is likely to contain as much as 330 mg cholesterol. So, consuming one whole egg yolk in a mooncake will have exceeded the daily recommended level of cholesterol.

People with high cholesterol level are advised to eat mooncakes with less egg yolks - or without.

3. Some mooncakes make claims of low sugar and "healthy". How reliable are these claims?

According to the test, the sucrose content of the samples ranged from 7.7% to 25.3%. Samples of one "low sugar" mooncake had indeed the least sucrose (7.7%) among all samples.

Samples of another mooncake that claim to be "healthy" to eat may not, however, be quite the case to some people. Although it did contain the least fat among all samples, and generally low in calories and sucrose, it had the highest content of carbohydrate.

People with special dietary needs and in particular diabetic patients should take this into account, and make the necessary dietary adjustment so as not to exceed their carbohydrate intake.

Results of the test are informative and enlightening which should provide useful guidance to consumers in their consumption of mooncakes. So, enjoy your mooncakes but never forget to practise moderation in the interest of your health.

Issued by
Consumer Council
23 September 1999