Taiwan: ractopamine found in imported pork

Taiwan authorities reported that a batch of imported pork has tested positive for ractopamine. It is the first time since the country lifted import restrictions in 2021, although the additive was within legal limits. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the batch of pork came from Australia, and the detected ractopamine was 0.01 ppm. The limits are 0.04 ppm for pork liver and kidneys, and 0.01 ppm for pork meat, fat, and other edible parts. Reacting to the news, Yang Chen-chang, head of occupational medicine and clinical toxicology at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, asked the government to improve policies to guarantee consumers’ safety. Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsu Yu-chen instead accused the cabinet of “doing nothing” to address the issue, neglecting food safety and public health. She also warned that the New Taiwan dollar’s increasing value has made the cost of importing pork containing ractopamine cheaper, increasing risks for consumers.
Ractopamine is a beta-agonist used to promote leanness in pigs and other livestock. It can cause rapid heartbeat, tremors, or gastrointestinal discomfort if consumed in large quantities. There is concern about its long-term exposure impact, although no adverse effects in humans have been documented so far. As of last week, Taiwan has imported 42,184.01 tonnes of pork, accounting for 24% of pork on the market. The government asks businesses to voluntarily disclose the origin of their imports, but Consumers’ Foundation chairman Teng Wei-chung said few companies do this. Imported pork could be used in processed foods or mixed meats, which means consumers could only be sure that their food does not contain ractopamine if the business clearly labels its meats. Teng called on government authorities to do more on the issue. There is also an economic aspect to the problem: Taiwan has a powerful pig farming industry, accounting for 39.6 percent of the livestock industry in 2023 and employing about 600,000 people. According to Hsu, cheaper foreign pork potentially containing ractopamine could damage the competitiveness of such an industry, inflicting a severe blow to the national economy. She asks the government to take the situation seriously.