Hamburger meat contains ractopamine, Health Department: Pork should be zero

The hamburger meat used by a chain breakfast shop in New Taipei City was found to contain 0.4 ppb of the lean meat stimulant "ractopamine". The supply came from Yunlin County. The Department of Health stated that pork must not be detected. The Yunlin County Health Bureau reported initially that the problematic meat came from the United States, but the importer's information needs to be further confirmed. If it is confirmed that the pork is from the United States and the importer is a repeat offender, the border sampling rate will be considered to be increased from 5% to 20%.

This year, the Pig Farmers Association took to the streets to protest. In addition to opposing American beef containing ractopamine, they also criticized American pork which may also contain ractopamine. (Photography by Zhang Yawen)

Pan Zhikuan, director of the regional management center of the Food and Drug Administration of the Department of Health, said that the import volume of American pork is not large to begin with, and last year, random inspections of pork on the market were found to contain ractopamine, but the number was limited and importers have been controlled. This year, a total of 24 batches of American pork were sampled at the border, and no ractopamine was detected in any of them.

According to the Yunlin County Health Bureau's report, the manufacturer that supplies hamburger meat to this breakfast shop is Li Fang Food, a subsidiary of the well-known meat supplier Shu Sen Corporation. Pan Zhikuan emphasized that currently only beef with ractopamine residues not exceeding 10ppb is allowed to be imported, while pork still maintains zero detection, so ractopamine residues in pork are a violation.

Tsai Shu-chen, director of the Food Group of the Food and Drug Administration, said that they are currently verifying the importer's information. If it is determined that the violators are indeed American pork and the importer is a repeat offender, they will consider increasing the border inspection rate for this importer from 5% to 20%.