China has announced a crackdown on the overpackaging and overpricing of festival delicacies, including mooncakes which are enjoyed during the approaching Mid-Autumn Festival.

According to officials, in recent years some companies have been selling luxury mooncake giftboxes containing valuable commodities, such as wine, baijiu liquor, shark fins, bird’s nest and ginseng.

Starting from now, these bundle giftboxes will be banned, and boxed mooncake sets must be sold on their own with a retail price not exceeding RMB 500, otherwise a cost survey will be carried out.

Moreover, expensive food ingredients such as shark fins and bird’s nests should not be used as the mooncakes’ stuffing, and in a bid to reduce the excessive use of packaging materials, companiues must stick to a simple and sustainable approach. Precious metals, rosewood or other expensive materials should not be used.

The National Development and Reform Commission will carry out inspections of hotels, restaurants, and e-commerce platforms that produce or sell mooncakes to ensure the regulations are complied with.

In lieu of the new policy, some Chinese wine suppliers have no choice but to quickly remake new giftboxes for Mid-Autumn Festival, despite their wine and mooncake giftboxes being priced under RMB 500.

The new announcement, which aims “to curb waste and promote the healthy development of the industry”, is considered a follow-up of the massive corruption crackdown campaign launched by President Xi Jinping in 2018, as gifting during traditional festivals can easily be abused as bribery.

This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on 10 September. It is a traditional festival for family reunions to celebrate the full moon.