This week China announced it’s suspending pork exports for six major U.S. plants and six cold storage facilities based on the country’s (rack-toe-puh-mean) ractopamine free requirements. Included in that are Quality Pork Processors of Austin, Minnesota, Tyson Fresh Meats in Perry and Storm Lake Iowa and Hormel Foods of Fremont, Nebraska. National Pork Producers Council President Dr. Howard Hill says the action which is nothing more than a trade barrier will hurt some U.S. pork trade.
Hill says over a year ago the International organization CODEX deemed ractopamine a safe product. He says China’s recent move to ban it is hypocritical.
Hill says China isn’t the only bad actor when it comes to banning ractopamine. He says Taiwan bans it in pork but allows it in beef which doesn’t make any sense.