Ractopamine – What is it and why is it banned in over 160 countries?
Meat is a main component in a majority of people’s meals throughout the world. Unfortunately, a lot of this meat is filled with additives to increase its face value or the animals are treated with antibiotics to prevent diseases prior to being purchased in local supermarkets or consumed in our local restaurants. One of the most common additives found within meat is ractopamine, which is a beta agonist drug that increases protein synthesis, thereby making the animal more muscular. This reduces the fat content of the meat and increases the profit per animal.
Ractopamine is banned from food production in at least 160 countries around the world, including countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan), due to its suspected health effects. Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have reportedly been “poisoned” from eating pigs who have been fed the drug. If imported meat is found to contain traces of the drug, it is turned away, while fines and imprisonment can be a result for its use in banned countries.
Russia issued a ban on US meat imports, warning it would remain in place until the US agrees to certify that the meat is ractopamine-free. As reported by Pravda, Russia is the fourth largest importer of US meats, purchasing about $500 million-worth of beef and pork annually. At present, the US does not even test for the presence of this drug in meats sold, even though animal research has linked ractopamine to cause adverse health issues.
Randox Food Diagnostics is dedicated to helping the industry improve global food safety which is why the Evidence Investigator drug residue analyser was developed. The Evidence Investigator uses Biochip Array Technology, a technology that was developed by Randox, to detect up to 44 drug residues from a single sample.
Randox Food will be attending the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta, Georgia from January 30th – February 01st 2018 and will be showcasing Biochip Array Technology and the Evidence Investigator analyser at booth B8410.
Randox Food Diagnostics USDA approved Ractopamine Array for tissue is available on our Biochip array and is also available on our growth promoter multiple matrix screen alongside B-Agonists, corticosteroids, trenbolone and more. The multiplex technology and simple sample preparation allows the user to save time on testing and on the costs of running individual tests separately.
For more information on our ractopamine array and all other meat testing including: growth promoters, synthetic steroids and more please contact us at:info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com