CALGARY—China has banned all meat imports from Canada, after it said traces of feed additive ractopamine were found in some Canadian pork, along with an inauthentic export certificate. Many are calling this the latest move in an ongoing diplomatic dispute between the two countries. But this isn’t the first time ractopamine has been at the centre of such a ban.On Wednesday, Canada’s International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr said “somebody” may be tampering with Canadian exports, a possibility now under investigation. “Somebody is trying to use the Canadian brand to move product into the Chinese market,” he said. Though ractopamine is banned in many countries, it’s permitted in Canada and the United States. What is it? And why do some countries ban it, but not others?What is ractopamine?Marie-France MacKinnon, vice-president of communications for the Canadian Meat Council, said in an email that ractopamine promotes growth while increasing feed efficiency. She said the use of ractopamine means beef production causes less greenhouse gases.The additive, which is part of a group called beta-agonists, is used during the last few weeks of an animal’s life, and creates leaner meat.Ractopamine is permitted in Canada for turkeys, hogs and cattle, according to regulations from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.Is it in Canadian meat?The food additive, also known as ractopamine hydrochloride, has been banned in many countries, including China, Russia and countries in Europe.This has prompted almost all Canadian pork producers to cease using the additive, even though it’s not banned in Canada, said Gary Stordy, director of government and corporate affairs for the Canadian Pork Council. Use of the additive is essentially zero in Canadian pork, he said.According to Alberta Pork, in 2018, there were 735 registered producers in the province, 83 per cent of which were certified ractopamine-free. However, ess ...
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