Hungry shoppers warned over online orders from overseas

Officials have warned consumers to be vigilant about the safety of mooncakes bought from overseas on e-commerce platforms, ahead of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival.

Wang Xiao, an officer from the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau's animal and plant quarantine department, reminded buyers that as most mooncakes contain meat and eggs, they could conceivably transmit bird flu or foot-and-mouth disease.

"The sometimes-long mailing processes involved in ordering online mean the relatively short shelf life of mooncakes makes it difficult to ensure product quality," he said.