Inspection rules unchanged despite 1st ractopamine pork import: TFDA

Taipei, May 4 (CNA) Taiwan's Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Sunday that it will keep current pork import inspection procedures in place, despite detecting ractopamine in imported pork for the first time since the ban was lifted in 2021.

Pork imports will continue to undergo 2-10 percent batch inspections, the agency said. This follows a gradual relaxation of controls from 100 percent in 2021 to 20-50 percent in 2023, after repeated tests showed no residue.

According to the TFDA pork monitoring dashboard, a 22.99-metric-ton shipment from Australia on April 29 tested positive for 0.001 parts per million (ppm) of ractopamine -- well below Taiwan's legal threshold.

The shipment included pig feet, intestines, jowls, skin, and liver connective tissue. The detected level complied with Taiwan's residue limits: 0.01 ppm for meat and edible parts, and 0.04 ppm for organs such as liver and kidneys.

It marked the first instance of ractopamine detection in imported pork since the market opened, prompting concern that the issue may extend beyond U.S. pork to other sources.

In response, the TFDA reaffirmed its commitment to the four guiding principles for inspections -- food safety, scientific analysis, international standards, and market surveillance -- to protect public health.