Ractopamine residue at 0.001 parts per million (ppm) has been found in a batch of frozen pig trotters imported from Australia. After passing Taiwan’s new import regulations, the trotters were released, becoming the first batch imported into Taiwan. Regarding the concentration levels, Linkou Chang Gung Clinical Toxicology Center Director Tzung-Hai Yen (顏宗海) reported that this batch of pork is not a threat to human health, but suggests the government increase the proportion of border sampling.
Taiwan opened up the import of pork containing ractopamine, commonly known as clenbuterol, from January 2021. The residue tolerance levels for each part of the pig are set at 0.04 parts per million (ppm) for livers and kidneys, and 0.01 ppm for muscle, fat, skin, and other edible parts.
Yen detailed that ractopamine is a beta-receptor hormone which, if eaten in high concentrations over a long period of time, will cause health risks such as increased heart rate, dilation of blood vessels, and cardiovascular disease.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated that, from January 1, 2021, all imported pork products are subject to general batch inspection, with a sampling rate of 2% to 10%. Yen called on the FDA to strengthen the control and increase the sampling ratio to more tightly monitor any ractopamine-containing pork. In addition, many experts and scholars have suggested that the origin of pork be clearly marked.
The FDA emphasized that it continues to follow the four principles of food safety, scientific analysis, international standards, and market inspection to protect the physical and mental health of the Taiwanese people.