Press Releases

SHWF begins four-nation visit to Europe (with photos)

The Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, has embarked on the first day of his four-nation visit to Europe, meeting Netherlands government officials in charge of agriculture, nature and food as well as health, welfare and sports.

Arriving at The Hague this morning (May 8, Netherlands time), Dr Chow met the Director-General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Mrs Renee Bergkamp, and her team to learn about the Netherlands' control on food imports and its food safety control regime.

The meeting noted that unlike the Netherlands who could take advantage of the complex system of the European Union (EU) in controlling its food imports, Hong Kong had a more active part to play in administering its own control in collaboration with the exporting countries which contributed to more than 90% of Hong Kong's food supply.

Dr Chow told the meeting that Hong Kong was drawing up legislation by phase to more stringently regulate the import of vegetables, fruits, fish/seafood.

Sharing experience on the implementation of nutrition labelling which Hong Kong was actively pursuing with the trade and the legislature, Dr Chow was told that the Netherlands and EU countries were also actively considering making labelling of nutrition content of food mandatory. Currently, food with nutritional claims are already under mandatory labelling requirement.

At a separate meeting with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports, Director-General of the Ministry, Mr Martin van Rijn, and his team guided Dr Chow through the country's health care reform programme which was implemented last year following the enactment of the health insurance act.

Under the reform system, a strong emphasis was put on the importance of primary care and the gate-keeping role of private general practitioners. As private general practitioners formed an integral part of the medical system, they were subject to the regulation of the government authority.

Dr Chow arrived at Antwerp, Belgium in the evening and officially opened the Hong Kong Film Panorama organised to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The event will run from May 3 to 30.

In addition to the Netherlands, Dr Chow will also visit Belgium and Germany to gain better understanding of these countries' food safety control regime and health care reform before attending the World Health Organisation's "60th World Health Assembly" in Geneva, Switzerland, on May 14.




Ends/Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:51

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