US beef containing ractopamine saw sales rise 40% in 10 years. Can labeling the place of origin block US pork?

Text by Yang Yuyun, reporter for Upstream and Downstream. Charts by Lin Yijun, reporter for Upstream and Downstream

President Tsai Ing-wen announced that imports of pork containing ractopamine (hereinafter referred to as ractopamine, ractopamine pork) will be opened on New Year's Day next year, and protests from all sectors have continued unabated. The government stresses that in the future the place of origin will be clearly labeled, and people can choose for themselves. However, will people still remember in the future that US pork contains ractopamine, and then make consumption choices accordingly? The answer is not necessarily optimistic.

Domestic imported beef accounts for more than 90% of the market. Twelve years ago, the Ma Ying-jeou government opened imports of US beef containing ractopamine. At present, all US beef sold on the market uses the ractopamine feed additive, while New Zealand and Australian beef does not use it. Although the government requires imported beef to be labeled only with its place of origin, because it does not indicate whether ractopamine was used, when people choose meat they mostly base their decisions on taste and price. Apart from the period right after it was first imported in 2012, when sales were affected, sales of ractopamine-containing US beef have risen year by year, and in 2019 its market share even surpassed that of New Zealand and Australian beef.

Huang Jincheng, deputy minister of the Council of Agriculture, said that US beef is grain-fed beef with a softer and more tender texture, and the use of ractopamine makes the marbling distribution more attractive. Is US pork that also uses ractopamine really as unpalatable and uncompetitive as the government says? Some people in the pig farming industry say privately that US pork using ractopamine has even better marbling, especially in cuts such as pork belly and streaky pork. "Even if the current national mood is to support Taiwan pigs, once the hype passes and many people forget, who will still care whether what they buy is Taiwan pork?"