The Council of Agriculture yesterday reiterated its opposition to opening Taiwan’s market to US pork that contains leanness-enhancing ractopamine amid an ongoing spat over the issue after it was brought up during the presidential candidate debate on Sunday.
Many nations have set standards on the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for ractopamine, a controversial feed additive that boosts growth and promotes leanness in pigs, cattle and turkeys, based on the meat consumption levels in their countries, the council said.
China, Russia and the EU ban the use of meat with ractopamine residue, the council said. Japan allows the importation of beef and pork with ractopamine, but it prohibits the domestic use of the feed additive in animals. South Korea permits imports of beef and pork containing ractopamine and allows the domestic use of the additive in animals.
The annual per capita pork consumption in Japan and South Korea is estimated at 15kg and 24kg respectively, both less than the 34kg consumed in Taiwan per person per year, the council said.
As Taiwanese consume seven times more pork products — including organ meats — than beef products each year, opening the Taiwan market to US pork could hurt the local pig-farming industry, which has an annual production value of NT$76.8 billion (US$2.32 billion), the council said.
In addition, the US Food and Drug Administration’s MRL limit is 30 parts per billion (ppb) for beef, far lower than the 50ppb limit for pork, the council said.
The opening of the market to imported meats containing ractopamine would seriously endanger public health, it said, adding that it has decided to maintain its stance on US pork imports.
Separately, Minister of Health and Welfare Chiang Been-huang (蔣丙煌) said that because Taiwan consumes more pork than beef products, he supports maintaining the restrictions on US pork imports for the sake of food safety.
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