Amid Controversial Lift of U.S. Port Containing Ractopamine, Officials Call for Consumption of Taiwanese Pork
News Compiled and Reported by Taiwan Weekly
On August 28, President Tsai Ing-Wen made an announcement that Taiwan will lift import restrictions on American pork containing ractopamine, as well as beef of cattle over 30 months of age. This has drawn criticism from all sides. On the morning of August 31, the Kuomintang (KMT) Caucuses of 22 local county and city councils simultaneously held a nationwide press conference, regarding the “Reject of U.S. Pork Containing Ractopamine to Safeguard Public Health.” In addition to resolutely opposing opening-up the market, the press conference also announced that the law will be amended to include the non-detection of beta receptors in pork and pork products into the local food safety regulations.
On September 5, the Ministry of Health and Welfare further announced the standards for ractopamine residue. Except for the original liver, kidney, fat, and muscle standards set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), other edible parts are subject to detection and the limit set is 0.01 parts per million (ppm). This indicates that imports would include all parts of the pig. In response, experts have criticized the Ministry of Health and Welfare for its incomplete assessment and rash decision making.
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung said that Taiwanese domestic pigs ractopamine residue standards are stricter than or in accordance with Codex standards. This takes into account the common practice of consuming pork kidney postpartum, requiring a stricter standard for the market.
Regarding the allowable amount of residue in piglets prescribed by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, expert and psychiatrist Su Wei-shuo said that opening the import market to pig’s internal organs would present a serious problem, essentially opening up the market to the import of whole hogs.
The Codex standard of the CAC, under the strong maneuver by the United States forcibly passed the current "ractopamine residue tolerance" with 69 votes to 67 votes. However, this standard is still very controversial, evidenced by the 160 countries, including the European Union, Russia, and mainland China have refused to adopt this standard.
Su stated that the author of the Taiwanese Risk Assessment Report is not a food safety expert and that there has been no independent assessment of these risks. Even MOHW Minister Chen has stated that eating American pork should be a last resort, indicating that as a doctor, he himself is aware of the controversy around the consumption of ractopamine.
Spokesman Ting Yi-ming of the Executive Yuan said that, in the future, imported meat will be clearly labeled to inform consumers when they are making purchase decisions.
In a joint press conference, Minister Chen Chih-chung of the Council of Agriculture (COA) said that the COA will assist to clearly trace and label meat products. It will also encourage those who use 100% Taiwanese domestic pork in their products to apply and label their products accordingly. This measure is expected to take effect in December this year.
COA Minister Chen has urged people to prioritize the consumption of Taiwanese domestic pork and minimize the impact on the industry, reminding consumers that ractopamine is not allowed in domestic pig farming. As for the school’s meals, Minister Chen has stated that meals will only be prepared with domestic pork.
At present, the autonomous regulations on food safety and hygiene management of six counties and cities contain stipulations that pork and its products shall not be detected with "clenbuterol" and violation will be penalized.
The KMT emphasized that in the 17 counties and cities where it enjoys the majority in legislative councils, the party will continue to oversee the government, survey public opinion, and promote local autonomy regulations that stipulate zero detection of ractopamine. It does not rule out calling on the people to take to the streets for large scale protest, letting the government know that malicious executive orders should stay within the central government.
Even if the Ministry of Health and Welfare were to announce the safety tolerance level of ractopamine, local governments currently ruled by the KMT will insist on strict zero detection. For example, the Chiayi City Government on September 7 fired the first shot by sending amendments to its self-governance ordinance to the city council, which are expected to pass next Tuesday. Hence, if Chiayi City were to detect ractopamine in pork, even if it falls under the maximum residual level permitted by the central government, a fine of NT$30,000 (about US$1,024) to NT$100,000 (about US$3,414) may still be assessed.
From：
https://www.chinatimes.com/newspapers/20200906000320-260102
https://udn.com/news/story/9750/4822617
https://udn.com/news/story/9750/4837556