Ractopamine Causes Health Damage: Health Experts|立院萊豬公聽會 專家細數瘦肉精遺害

Beginning January 2021, Taiwan will allow pork imports from the United States that contain ractopamine. The Legislative Yuan held a public hearing session on the matter. Legislators from both the ruling and opposition party also criticized the Tsai administration for flip-flopping their position and a health expert questioned it by saying that ractopamine could harm the kidney or increase the risk of autism.


Starting January 1, 2021, pork import from the United States that contain ractopamine will be allowed in Taiwan. The decision has caused a lot of public concern over food safety. On October 12, the Legislative Yuan's Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee held a public hearing. During the session, legislators from both the ruling and opposition party slammed the controversial decision. In 2012, the DPP led the charge in opposing the import of US pork. The party has completely reversed their position and allowed the pork import. The move has led many to call on Tsai and her administration to apologize to the public.

In 2012, the latest CODEX standards on food safety were released. Back then, the DPP even held a press conference to criticize the president and his administration. Now that we have scientific proof (on ractopamine's harm), would they need to apologize for the matter?

There is no resources, such as manpower, equipment or laboratory that has been allocated in preparation for the opening of pork import starting January 1, 2021.

A Health expert referred to a research released in 2015 and said that, even a small dose of ractopamine has been proven to cause damage to the kidneys and reduce lifespan. Researches from other countries have also shown that the addictive could cause autism.

After admitting 10 PPB of ractopamine to drosophila over a period of 21 days, we found that, first, there has been an increase in crystallization in their kidneys; second, their climbing ability decreased; third, their average lifespan decreased.

This is a historical event. Now that we have scientific proof to resolve the matter, I would like to call on everyone to see the matter from a scientific perspective.

Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung, who also attended the session, said that it is a positive development to have people discuss the matter at a public hearing. He said he will make preparation to properly respond to questions from the public.



從明年元旦起，含有萊克多巴胺的美國豬肉就可以合法進口來台，引發民眾食安疑慮，立法院衛環委員會12號召開公聽會，朝野立委輪番上陣，砲轟這是錯誤政策。而且2012年民進黨帶頭反美豬，現在卻要開放，昨是今非，蔡政府應該要公開向國人道歉。

民眾黨立委 蔡壁如表示：「當時2012年CODEX的標準，也出來了。他(民進黨)還是開了記者會說，黑心內閣、無能總統。那今天，要不要為科學的論證，這件事情，要來道歉？」

國民黨立委 蔣萬安表示：「沒有針對明年1月1號，開放瘦肉精豬肉進口，對於人力、查驗設備、實驗室，相關經費，怎麼編列？」

此外也有學者專家提出2015年國內最新研究報告質疑，即使是低劑量的萊克多巴胺，在動物實驗證實，會造成腎臟細胞受損、壽命減少，甚至國外研究也發現，會引發自閉症等神經系統後遺症。

高雄醫學大學生醫學博士 王文心表示：「21天，投予10PPB的萊克多巴胺，給果蠅來吃。我們可以發現，第一個，果蠅腎臟的結晶形成增加了；第二個，牠的攀爬能力減弱了；第三個，牠的壽命縮短了。」

衛福部長 陳時中表示：「這是一個歷史的事件，那現在用科學的證據，來解決這樣歷史的事件。大家應該就科學的標準，來看這個事情。」

而受邀參加的衛福部長陳時中則強調，相關議題能在立法院舉行公聽會，針對安全性進行實質討論，這是一件好事，會做相關準備、來回答大家的疑問。