Introduction[edit | edit source]
Ractopamine hydrochloride (RAC) is a bate-adrenergic agonist that is widely used in swine production as a feed additive to improve feed efficiency and carcass leanness in meat from raised animals (1,2). However, some studies show they may present and pose harmful effects on human health (2,3). The assessment of RAC toxic risk, as well as whether it can be approved as veterinary, are contentious issues all over the world. The Chinese government prohibited RAC as a feed additive in the last century. These policies have been rapidly updated over the last 20 years, becoming more specific and sophisticated as the occurrence of some significant food safety events results in consumers being increasingly concerned about food safety. Instead, RAC can be legally used in Canada, and the policy is more extensive and comprehensive. Some regulations and standards were implemented based on the feedback food industry and international committees (3); the main reason is that government has to consider the interest of stakeholders. However, assessing RAC risk, settling trade disputes, and monitoring RAC illegal usage are all difficult tasks for both exporting and importing countries. Based on these considerations, banning the use of RAC in feed additives is preferable; similarly, Chinese policies are more effective than Canadian policies.
Policies in China and Canada[edit | edit source]
RAC policies in Canada are extremely comprehensive and extensive. After the approval of the RAC as a feed additive in the meat industry by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) . Canada's government published guidelines for using RAC medications and regulated MRLs in swine (4,5), and conducted a RAC-free certification program for Canadian pork (CRFPCP). These policies are intended to enable RAC usage under health conditions and to serve as a guiding document in the formulation and labeling of medicated feeds to ensure they are reasonable and safe for the purpose intended under operation conditions, as well as to address trade barriers and assist the meat industry in exporting to RAC-free countries or districts (5,6).
The manufacture, sale, and import of livestock feeds in Canada are regulated and must comply with the Compendium of Medication Ingredient Brochures (CMIB) specifications (4), and must comply with two pieces of legislation: the Food and Drugs Act and regulations enforced by Health Canada, and the Feeds Act and regulations enforced by the CFIA (7). The RAC medication ingredient brochures generally covered some key points: first of all, the RAC can be added to livestock feed as permitted by Canadian regulations; subsequently, the brochures specify RAC as an over-the-counter drug product in the manufacture of livestock feed; additionally, some specific items about usage are listed in the RAC medicating ingredient brochure, which encompasses the swine species, such as Finishing barrows and gilts, level of medication, direction, and purpose for which each medicating ingredient may be legally used. Lastly, the policy emphasizes labeling requirements to ensure compliance with prescribed labeling standards, noting that the whole claim, including medication level, permitted for use in Canada, warnings, and cautions, must appear on the medicated feed label (4,5,7).
MRL is veterinary drug policy that stipulates the maximum amount of residue that may be present in food derived from an animal or food that has been treated or fed with a veterinary drug rather than endangering human health (5). The official Canadian MRL in RAC is 10 parts per billion (ppb) (1). This policy incorporates marketing authorization for MRL for Veterinary Drugs in Food from the Food and Drugs Act and was enacted in May 2013, as well as updated on August 26th this year (8). The policy sets out that the MRL of the Kidney cannot be higher than 0.09 and the MRL of the Swine Liver cannot be greater than 0.04(5). The most edible part is a muscle and the residue dosage is relatively ralown this part, the maximum Residue limit is 0.01 ppm. As a consequence of this, this policy emphasizes that the predictable level of residues offromhese veterinary drugs appears to cause minor harm to the human body, and there is no need to monitor it as part of a routine program (4,5). The approval of RAC is exciting news for many meat industries and slaughterhouses because swine and hogs kept with this type of veterinary promcare ote carcass leanness growth rate to smeet consumer needs, gain profit, and promote large-scale productive efficiency (2).
Canada has the highest proportion of swine exportation to China, the EU, and Russia in the world. Meanwhile, policies and agreements in these countries regarding the use and MLR of RAC cannot be consistent (9). Several food-related incidents occurred this year. As a result, the Canadian government enacted new regulations in response to a food safety incident involving the export of frozen pork meat. In 2019, China officials suspended a pork shipment from Canada containing the banned feed additive RAC and assessed the certificate was inauthentic (10). The Chinese then banned swine meat imported from Canada, but since China is Canada's third-largest pork export market (9), which posed a very large trade issue between China and Canada, along with other countries. According to Statistics Canada in appenAix A (10), the figure in tforal Canadian exports of frozen meat decreased from CAN $980 million to CAN $830 million, with only a 0.55% increase in total Canadian exports in 2018 and 2019. (8). Following that, the Canadian government quickly responds by mandating Canadian pork producers to comply with the Canadian Ractopamine-Free Pork Certification Program (CRFPCP) when exporting pork meat to prove that the pigs are without ractopamine (9). Such policies, as soon as they were published, suggest anded comply wiiedh other policies and provide a gdood prospect and expectation in the exportation of swine. The Chinese government recognized and approved this program, and renewed the import of Canadian pork meat in 2020 (10,11).
China's RAC use and sale policies differ greatly from those of Canada. In China, all beta-adrenoceptor agonists are illegal (12). Chinese policies are more specific and sophisticated as well. RAC was dubbed "lean meat powder" (LMP) in China and was introduced as a feed drug in 1991 (13), the LMP was then disallowed until 1998, when the first case of LMP poisoning occurred in Hong Kong. Physical symptoms such as finger tremors, dizziness, irregular heartbeats, and insomnia have been reported as a result of eating swine offal contaminated with LMP residues (14). This is not the first time an LMP case has been involved in an unexpected food accident and several cases of people being sick after eating swine meat fed with RAC have been reported in recent decades (13,14). Early in 2002, the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, and State Food and Drug Administration issued announcements of the People's Republic of China, joined together to implement a policy listed Drug Species Banned for Use in Feed and Animal Drinking (Water") Ministry of Agriculture Announcement No. 176), , pointed out that the RAC as a beta-adrenoceptor agonist was banned to added to the water feed with livestock (15). In August of the same year, the Chinese court issued a policy titled "The Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Several Issues Concerning the Specific Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Illegal Production, Sales, and Use of Drugs Prohibited in Feed and Animal Drinking Water." As this regulation is enacted and incorporated into criminal law so far, anyone who buys and sells RAC will pursue criminal responsibility (16). In 2009 December, the Ministry of Commerce, General Administration of Customs in China released an announcement “Banning the Import and Export of Ractopamine and Ractopamine Hydrochloride”(17).
Based on the references provided above, China has prohibited the importation of swine from Canada. Even though these policies appear to manage and control RAC origins, illegal sales and purchases of RAC as medicine continued to exist. These flaws may provide an opportunity for those who illegally trade RAC. One food safety scandal occurred in China in 2011, when the Shuang Hui sausage food industry illegally purchased RAC to feed swine and was reported on a popular Chinese TV show called 3.15 (18). The general public became agitated and panicked after this accident, and the economic implications for the food industry were chilling. Furthermore, people considered these policies if they were still in effect at the time, and they reviewed the entire meat industry due to the faithfulness and reputation of brands. The government paid close attention to this serious food issue and described the regulations to alleviate public confusion and discontent. On December 5th, 2011, the Ministries of Industry and Information Technology, Agriculture, and Commerce, along with other ministries, issued a joint announcement (No.41) that Ractopamine production and sale are prohibited (16). The goal of this policy is to focus on this food crisis in China while also eliminating the possibility of RAC generating or remaining in China in some illegal ways. The Chinese government assessed the RAC throughout the district and rejected the possibility of the RAC existing in China (19). Until now, the Chinese government has supervised and conducted risk assessments to evaluate the RAC in various provinces, and they undertook national feed quality and safety monitoring every year and reported the results. Meanwhile, in 2021, China put RAC as a key monitoring project in the national monitoring system (20).
The policy Comparison in China and Canada[edit | edit source]
Chinese and Canadian policies have some similarities and differences. The comparison index can be classified to the current state of the policy and the most profitable stakeholders, as well as whether it involves food issues and the effectiveness of these policies. Appendix B contains more detailed information.
The use of the RAC is one obvious difference between China and Canada. According to the source, China previously accepted RAC as veterinary medicine before forbidding it completely in 2002, whereas the Canadian government continues to use RAC in feed additives(11). In the last 20 years, the Chinese government has updated its policies in response to some serious food, which is now prohibited throughout China. Regarding Canadian policy, no food-related event has been linked to RAC-related diseases resulting in policy changes associated with RAC in Canada. The majority of food events, as previously stated, are related to trade issues; the most contentious issue is whether the RAC remains in the swine when they are exported to China. When compared to Chinese consumers, the meat industry in Canada is the most economically beneficial group. These policies primarily protect the public and the meat industry's interests. This is because Canada has approved some brands that can be used by RAC for swine, as well as instructions on how to use and sell this drug medication under specific conditions (4,5). Concerning the health risk, the Canadian government believes that the residues of these veterinary drugs are unlikely to be harmful to the human body and conducted a RAC of Human Safety Assessment to back up this claim (9), whereas the Chinese government adopted the previous food safety issue and local cultures prohibited the use of the RAC. It has significantly reduced the public's exposure to RAC. The similarities between Canada's and China's policies are constantly at work and effective (23).
Which policy is most effective[edit | edit source]
China and Canada have policies that are both comprehensive and efficient. When comparing Chinese and Canadian policies, however, some implications in trade, economics, and culture, as well as the long-term health problem, demonstrate that Chinese policy is best for stakeholders. People prefer eating swine offal, according to some studies of Chinese culture and customs (18). This is also the reason why the Chinese government has banned the use of RAC in swine products. Furthermore, Canada is the world's most immigrant country, and people from Asian countries prefer different eating habits, such as animal offal. There is less health protection, and policy recommendations target those who consume swine offal on a regular basis. Although the CFIA-monitored CRFPCP aims to demonstrate that pigs are not fed ractopamine and can ensure record-keeping and routine audits throughout the entire supply chain: farm and commercial feed mills, federally inspected processing plans, Canadian policies are insufficient to meet the needs of the public(4,6). Once the residue of RAC in some swine cases is evaluated, there will be some negative consequences for export and import countries, such as trade barriers, lost reputation, and so on. Meanwhile, it appears that the use of the RAC is a risk transfer to commercial feed mills, farms, feed mills, and retail outlets. As a result, many feed mills banned the use of the RAC many years ago, and policies in food exporting appear to be helpless, causing people to be forced to accept unreasonable economic risk (22).
Conclusion[edit | edit source]
The use of RAC in swine is a contentious issue all over the world. China and Canada have made opposing statements regarding RAC usage. Acceptance is granted in Canada, but not in China. When Canadian and Chinese policies are compared, Canadian policies are more comprehensive and extensive, whereas Chinese policies are more specific and sophisticated. Furthermore, based on the preceding reference, after the policies identified and effectiveness analysis, including the current state and stakeholders' interests and long-term effects. Policies in China are better than those in Canada, so it is better to prohibit the use of RAC as feed drugs to protect public health and the interests of stakeholders.
Reference
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