Taiwan‘s Legislative Yuan passed an executive order Thursday (Dec. 24) deciding to open imports of U.S. pigs containing lean meat extract from Jan. 1 next year. However, Taiwan’s opposition Kuomintang party said the decision poses health risks.
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen made a decision in August this year to allow the import of U.S. pork with ractopamine, known in Taiwan as “lean pigs”. The news caused an uproar in Taiwan’s political circles. Both the European Union and mainland China have banned the pork from the United States.
Ractopamine is a feed additive that speeds up animal growth, making pigs, cattle and turkeys grow more lean meat and less fat, and is the most common type of lean meat extract. Ractopamine residues are generally considered to be of low toxicity in meat. The U.S. pork quality inspection department believes that this toxin does not cause harm to humans.
Whether or not to allow the import of “Lai pigs” has been an issue of contention between the two political parties in Taiwan for many years. When Ma Ying-jeou was in power, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which was in opposition, was firmly opposed to the ruling party opening up the import of “Ley Pigs”. Now that the two parties have swapped positions, the attitude toward U.S. pork has also changed.
Since this year, U.S.-Taiwan relations have become closer due to the deterioration of U.S.-China relations. Observers believe that Tsai’s agreement to liberalize the import of “Lai pigs” may be due to the consideration of further improving Taiwan-US relations.
Last month, KMT lawmakers staged a protest at the Legislative Yuan, where a large bag of pig offal was left in the chamber during a legislative session, making the scene chaotic.
The DPP government said that no one is forcing anyone to eat pork and that the Taiwanese authorities’ permission to import U.S. pigs is only on par with international standards. However, Taiwan’s major food companies said they were determined not to sell pork containing ractopamine.
Lee Chun-lai, chairman of the Republic of China Poultry Meat Marketing and Development Association, said Thursday that the association’s original pledge against importing U.S. pigs has not changed: about 150 pork importers in Taiwan will never import “lei pigs”.
Taiwan’s Central News Agency news agency said that next year, the chances of Taiwan’s market appearing Ley pig products are slim.
Taiwan imports of pork mainly from Spain, the United States, Denmark, etc.. U.S. pork in Taiwan’s pork imports accounted for about 13%.
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