Consumers' Foundation: Opening up to Clenbuterol is harmful to the health of the Chinese people

In response to the controversy over ractopamine in American beef, the government will hold an inter-ministerial task force meeting tomorrow, the 21st. However, the Consumers Foundation of the Republic of China held a press conference this morning and issued a joint statement with non-governmental groups such as the Housewives' Union, calling on the government to follow the example of EU countries and impose a complete ban on the use of ractopamine before further scientific data can be provided, and not to allow the use of ractopamine due to international power and political interests, which would endanger the health of the people.

The Consumer Foundation called on the government to follow the example of EU countries and ban the import of American beef containing ractopamine to safeguard the health of the Chinese people.

The Consumers' Foundation stated that Ractopamine, also known as "ractopamine," which was recently renamed by the Council of Agriculture, is a type of lean meat stimulant. It was originally developed as an asthma drug, but due to its poor effect, it was accidentally discovered that it has a "lean meat" effect on livestock, which can consume fat, make muscle fibers swell and grow, and increase the proportion of lean meat. Since clenbuterol is a chemically synthesized unnatural product, it can neither increase the shelf life nor inhibit bacterial growth, nor has it the function of treating diseases. It is only used to make meat look better. In addition, there are no formal and sufficient human risk assessment studies. Whether it will cause a burden to the human body in the future remains unknown. Currently, more than 160 countries including Taiwan, mainland China and the European Union have banned its use, far more than the more than 20 countries that have allowed it.

The Consumers' Foundation further stated that eating internal organs, such as lungs and kidneys, is particularly threatening to women before and after pregnancy, infants, the elderly, and consumers with weak bodies. Even though the government has implemented the "Three Controls and Five Checks" in recent years, with controls at the "source", "border" and "market" to ensure the five-check procedures of "verifying certification documents", "clearly labeling product information", "unpacking inspection", "food safety inspection" and "real-time information verification", residues of clenbuterol are still found from time to time, especially in meat imported from the United States. For example, last year (101), 59 pieces of commercial beef were sampled and found to have clenbuterol residues in 10 of them, with a failure rate of 1/6, all of which were American beef; 172 batches were inspected at the border, and 45 batches were unqualified, also American beef.

In addition, civil groups such as the Consumers' Foundation and the Housewives' Union have questioned why the United States will ship American beef produced with ractopamine to Taiwan or other third world countries where the situation is weaker, while reserving meat without additives for the United States and countries with strong situations and high standards, such as the European Union. This kind of suppression and forced sales clearly ignores the equal human rights of everyone!

In response, civil society groups have jointly called on the government not to succumb to US political and economic pressure and demand that consumers reluctantly accept the import of problematic products, and then sacrifice consumer health with empty promises such as "special sales areas", "origin labeling", and "warning labels". At the same time, we should strengthen border inspection and control capabilities, revise customs inspection procedures, and have the responsibility and ability to strictly control imported goods with safety concerns for the health of the Chinese people!

In addition to the Consumer Foundation, other groups that jointly issued a statement include the Housewives Union Environmental Protection Foundation, the Taiwan Housewives Union Consumer Cooperative, the Taiwan Care Association, the Taiwan Animal Society Research Association, the National Federation of Dentists' Associations of the Republic of China, the National Association for the Promotion of Community Colleges, the Republic of China Care for Life Association and other non-governmental groups.