Health Minister Chen Shih-chung says Taiwan will not ask the US to add labels to its pork products showing how much of the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine they contain. Chen was speaking Wednesday before a joint meeting of the Legislature’s health, economics, foreign affairs, finance, and education committees.
The meeting was held to examine an executive order that will open up Taiwan to imports of US pork containing the additive starting next year. The order has removed a major stumbling block in Taiwan-US trade ties, but the decision to allow pork treated with ractopamine into the country has proved controversial.
During the meeting, New Power Party lawmaker Chen Jiau-hua said that US exporters should be required to add labels to pork products indicating ractopamine content, and that all US meat containing ractopamine should be separated from ractopamine-free US meat on arrival in Taiwan. Chen said that this would provide consumers with the information they need to decide on whether to buy certain meat products.
However, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said that all meat imports must meet Taiwanese standards, and that products found not to meet these standards are destroyed in customs. Chen said that meat that passes inspection is labeled with a certificate, and that no additional certificate for ractopamine alone will be added.