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Taiwan Lawmakers Approve Imports of Additive-Fed US Pork

Reuters

   TAIPEI - Taiwan's parliament on Thursday approved measures that pave
   the way for imports of U.S. pork
   containing a leanness-enhancing additive, despite objections by the
   main opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party which says the move is a health
   risk.
   President Tsai Ing-wen's decision in August to permit imports of U.S.
   pork containing ractopamine, banned in the European Union and China,
   has roiled Taiwan politics. The KMT has staged noisy protests and flung
   pig entrails in parliament on one occasion last month to protest
   against the plans.
   The government says nobody will be forced to eat the pork and that the
   move brings Taiwan into line with international norms. Major Taiwanese
   food firms have already pledged not to sell pork made with ractopamine.
   But with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party having a majority in
   parliament, the KMT was never going to be able to block the
   administrative measures that allow ractopamine pork.
   "Ractopamine pork is poison pork," KMT lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao told
   parliament, holding up a large sign reading the same message. Premier
   Su Tseng-chang told reporters the government would protect people's
   health. "We have seen that importers have publicly said they will not
   import ractopamine pork," he added.
   The KMT cancelled plans for public protests against the decision
   outside parliament after Taiwan reported on Tuesday its first
   locally-transmitted COVID-19 case since April.
   The issue is extremely sensitive for Taiwan's government as the United
   States is the Chinese-claimed island's most important international
   backer and supplier of arms.
   Taiwan's government hopes the easing of U.S. pork imports will pave the
   way for a long-hoped for free trade deal with Washington. The de facto
   U.S. embassy in Taiwan has decried "disinformation" from politicians
   about food safety.
   Pork is Taiwan's most popular meat, with average per capita consumption
   of around 40 kg. Most pork consumed in Taiwan is domestically reared.