Forbidden drug residue found in imported pork from U.S., Canada

Two things come immediately to mind.

First, I'm sure its no secret China won't take pork products containing ractopamine, so none should have been sent to them. That is none should have been sent unless someone was trying to pull a fast one on the Chinese.

The second thing is how well is the FDA protecting US if they allow the existence of a drug most countries in the world deem unsafe for use in edible animals.

Actually a third thing comes to mind. What is an inedible animal?

Chinese quality control administration said on Saturday that its local officials recently found ractopamine residue in frozen pig kidney imported from the United States and frozen pork spareribs from Canada.

Ractopamine is forbidden for use as veterinary medicine in China.

The 18.37 tons of frozen pork kidney in 1,350 cases and 24 tons of frozen pork chop in 1,600 cases were imported through the Panyu port in south China's Guangdong Province.

The local quarantine authority of Guangdong Province has returned the goods to exporters, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

According to the administration, the local authority of Guangdong has found ractopamine residue in ten batches of pork products from the U.S. and one from Canada by the end of August.

Ractopamine is a kind of adrenal stimulant, which may promote the growth of pigs and ox and help them grow more lean meat. It was forbidden for use as veterinary medicine in most of the countries across the world.

The European Union had forbidden the use of it in edible animals in a decree published in 1996, and China banned the drug in feedstuff and potable water for animals in 2002.

Picture is of rats being cooked over charcoal in Thailand. All animals are edible.

Via Xinua.