March 7, 2012

Taiwan to allow US beef imports 

The Taiwanese government has revealed plans to lift a ban on US beef containing ractopamine, paving the way for trade talks with Washington, according to media reports.

The plan will allow imports of ractopamine-treated beef.

The decision came after a top US trade official cancelled a visit to Taiwan while local health authorities were cracking down on US beef containing the leanness-enhancing drug.

Last month, health officials pulled beef off store shelves for the second time in two months after finding ractopamine in US beef ribs.

US officials want Taiwan to loosen its policy on ractopamine in exchange for moving forward on the proposed Trade and Investment Framework Agreement.

The US is among 26 countries that have declared ractopamine safe for human consumption.

"Countries that banned ractopamine were unable to document any legitimate food safety risk and used non-scientific reasons to justify their bans," the American Institute in Taiwan said in a statement last week.