TAIPEI (Taiwan News) —  The Food and Drug Administration announced 23 tonnes of frozen pig feet imported from Australia were found to contain leanness-enhancing drug ractopamine.

The finding is the first detection of ractopamine in pork since import restrictions were lifted in 2021. The amount detected was 0.001 PPM, well below the permissible level of 0.01 PPM for pork meat and fat, per UDN.

The FDA published a report on its “pork monitoring dashboard” on Tuesday. It said it will continue to monitor pork imports and prioritize food safety and market inspections.

The Consumers’ Foundation said it was worried that citizens are unknowingly consuming ractopamine-laced pork. It said this incident could be a stepping stone for similar pork from the US to enter the market.

Consumers' Foundation Chair Teng Wei-chung (鄧惟中) said he hopes the FDA will use administrative means to trace the whereabouts of this batch of Australian pig feet and identify if it was destined for direct consumption at restaurants or for processing plants. Teng said consumers have the right to know.

The issue attracted the attention of local politicians. KMT Legislator Hsu Yu-chen (許宇甄) said appreciation of the Taiwan dollar makes imported pork from the US cheaper, and importers may abandon prior pledges not to import pork with ractopamine.

DPP Legislator Wu Su-yao (吳思瑤) said Taiwan's safe tolerance values for ractopamine are more stringent than international standards. Wu added that the criticisms by the KMT were politically motivated rather than a food safety issue.