How much ractopamine is in a bowl of braised pork rice?

Starting next year, Taiwan will allow imports of U.S. pork containing ractopamine, a controversial animal feed additive. What does that mean for you as a consumer? Formosa News reporter Stephany Yang has the story.

The chef chops the pork, adds it on the rice, and then pours on a generous helping of braised pork sauce. It’s warm, savory, and stick-to-your-ribs. Braised pork rice is arguably Taiwan’s national dish.

Anastasia Yulchieva
Expat
I like pork in general. I guess it''s a good combination of products.

Pavel Krestin
Expat
In my country, i''m from Russia, we don''t really eat this fat part of pork. We basically only eat meat. I can accept it in Taiwan.

Taiwan is about to lift its ban on U.S. pork containing ractopamine, a feed additive that’s given to pigs to make them build muscle meat. Ractopamine is controversial due to its suspected health risks for humans. But food safety experts at the United Nations were able to determine a safe level of ractopamine for human consumption.

Yen Tzung-hai
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital nephrologist
As we know the ADI, the acceptable daily intake of ractopamine is 1 microgram per kilogram of body weight. So for instance, an adult with 60 kg – the maximum amount of ractopamine he can intake is no more than 60 micrograms.

Based on the UN''s maximum residue level standards, one bowl of braised pork rice would contain 1 microgram of ractopamine. That means the average adult male would have to eat 60 bowls of braised pork rice each day before reaching the U.N.’s safety limit of 60 micrograms.

Yen Tzung-hai, a nephrologist at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, says that ractopamine is eliminated by the human body quickly.

Yen Tzung-hai
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital nephrologist
According to the literature review, the half life of ractopamine is just four hours. It means that the ractopamine can be metabolized by our human body. There''s no long term accumulation, unlike the heavy metal. Heavy metal can accumulate in our body. But the half life of ractopamine is relatively short. Just four hours. After four hours, it reduces to the half amount. In case I take ractopamine, maybe after one day, it is no longer found in my body.

Even so, Dr. Yen advises higher-risk groups to be especially mindful of their ractopamine consumption. Patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease should avoid eating large quantities of pig organs containing ractopamine in a short period of time, as it could lead to increased risks of cardiovascular complications.

Yen Tzung-hai
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital nephrologist
Ractopamine is a beta agonist, I am afraid that patients with hypertension and cardiovascular disease, if they take large amounts of internal organs or ractopamine in a short period of time, they might develop palpitation or chest discomfort. Also, there is an increased risk of cardiovascular complication. So I would recommend that this sensitve group. Hypertension or heart problems or stroke avoid taking ractopamine internal organs.

Dr. Yen says that product labeling can help ensure consumer safety.

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital consultant nephrologist
Tzung Hai-yen
Maybe next year, we need to look at the label. The government has promised that they have to label product. Whether the product is from the domestic or imported from the USA. Even though it''s imported from the USA, it might be ractopamine or ractopamine-free. So I think the labeling is important.

The government plans to tighten labeling requirements to meet the arrival of U.S. pork. Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung says that starting next week, his ministry will go to markets across Taiwan to demonstrate the use of labels.