14 versions of the bill to block clenbuterol sent to committee

The government plans to conditionally open up imported beef containing the lean meat stimulant "ractopamine". Legislators from both the ruling and opposition parties have decided to block it through legislative amendments. On the 8th, the Legislative Yuan submitted the draft amendment to some articles of the "Food Sanitation Management Act" proposed by the legislators to the Social Welfare and Health and Environment Committee for review. Currently, 14 cases have been sent to the committee, and most of them insist that there must be zero detection of lean meat stimulants.

The Legislative Yuan proposed to amend some articles of the Food Sanitation Management Act to include a label on the safe allowable amount of clenbuterol.

The Executive Yuan recently announced a policy direction of "safety allowed, separation of cows and pigs, mandatory labeling, and exclusion of offal" for American beef containing ractopamine, which has attracted a lot of opposition. In addition to scholars and doctors openly criticizing it, the Anti-American Beef Alliance composed of civil groups and pig farmers also took to the streets to protest. This move was supported by legislators from both the ruling and opposition parties. Therefore, in the direction of amending the Food Sanitation Management Act, most legislators hope to explicitly ban the use of ractopamine.

However, some legislators have focused the amendment on labeling the safe allowable amount of clenbuterol and requiring public catering service venues to clearly indicate the source of meat. Currently, there are 14 versions submitted to the committee. Cai Jinlong, the convener of the Health and Environment Committee and a Kuomintang legislator in charge of the review, said that the draft amendment to the article is scheduled to be discussed on the 14th of this month.

In addition, the New Taipei City Health Bureau released the latest sampling report on the 8th, indicating that the American beef used by Yoshinoya on Wenhua Road, Banqiao was found to contain 1.2 ppb of clenbuterol. The meat also came from Shusen Company. In response, Yoshinoya has issued a statement stating that "the company has suspended the sale of beef products due to insufficient supply of beef."