Views exchange: Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow meets the Netherlands' Ministry of Agriculture, Nature & Food Quality Director-General Renee Bergkamp to learn about the country's control of food imports and its food-safety control regime.

Hong Kong is drawing up laws to more stringently regulate vegetable, fruit, fish and seafood imports, Secretary for Health, Welfare & Food Dr York Chow said during his visit to the Netherlands.

Arriving at the Hague this morning, Dr Chow met Ministry of Agriculture, Nature & Food Quality Director-General Renee Bergkamp to learn about the Netherlands' control of food imports and its food-safety control regime.

He noted that unlike the Netherlands which can take advantage of the European Union's complex system in controlling food import, Hong Kong has a more active part to play in administering its own control in collaboration with the exporting countries which contribute more than 90% of the city's food supply.

Officials told Dr Chow the country and its EU counterparts are considering making labelling of nutrition content of food mandatory. Currently, food with nutritional claims already comes under mandatory labelling requirement.

Healthcare reform

In the afternoon, Dr Chow met with Director-General of the Ministry of Health, Welfare & Sports Martin van Rijn, and was briefed on the country's healthcare reform programme which was implemented last year following the enactment of the health insurance act.

Under the reform system, a strong emphasis is 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 are subject to the government authority's regulation.

Dr Chow arrived at Antwerp, Belgium in the evening and 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.

Dr Chow will visit Belgium and Germany to gain better understanding of these countries' food-safety control regimes and healthcare reforms before attending the World Health Organisation's 60th World Health Assembly in Geneva on May 14.