Mooncakes -- golden-brown, sweet treats from China -- can also be trouble. Each year, especially in the fall, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agricultural specialists at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport seize hundreds of mooncakes containing egg yolks or other animal products prohibited because they come from countries considered at high risk for exotic Newcastle disease or avian influenza.

The agency said Friday it's trying to spread the word that mooncakes stuffed with yolks or animal products are prohibited in the United States.

Mooncakes, wildly popular cultural delicacies traditionally eaten during the autumnal equinox festival in China, are generally small and round, with a sweet-bean paste filling. They may contain one to four yolks, usually from salted duck eggs. The yolks represent the moon.

"At just about this time every year, our agriculture specialists begin to see many passengers arriving in this country from Asia with mooncakes," said David Murphy, Customs' director of field operations in Chicago. "It is not unusual for us to see 20 or more boxes come through each day. ... It is important for the public to understand the potential impact of diseases, such as Newcastle, that could devastate our poultry industry and cause significant economic disaster to the U.S. economy."

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