Taiwan: ractopamine in pork from Canada
A Taiwanese Department of Health (DOH) official stated recently that traces of ractopamine have been found recently in some imported frozen pig kidneys from Canada.
An official at the DOH, responsible for food safety, Feng Jun-Ian stated that 450 kg of imported kidneys from a food company in Taichung City were found to contain 0.49 parts per billion (ppb) of ractopamine following a test on September 19. None of the kidneys had entered the local market.
Banned
Ractopamine, which is banned in Taiwan, is legal in the US and some other countries in order to promote the growth of lean meat in livestock.
Feng stated further that Canada is Taiwan’s largest source of offal – with 17 million tonnes being imported on a yearly basis.
Pangs of transition
Incidents like this are attributed to the pangs of transition as Taiwan attempts to move towards establishing a better-regulated food safety system.
Related website:
• Taiwan Department of Health
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