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, essentially all Alberta pork is ractopamine-free, said Stordy. Any producers that aren’t federally certified likely have markets that don’t require certification, he said.

MacKinnon said some Canadian beef producers use ractopamine, but that the additive is highly regulated.

“There are robust systems in place to ensure Canadian beef being (exported) to China is ractopamine-free, a requirement of the Chinese market,” she said.

Why have some countries banned ractopamine?

Stordy said countries ban ractopamine due to “preference,” and that the additive has been deemed safe by many regulators, such as in the United States.

International standards, such as those set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, have determined a minimum safe residue level for human consumption, but other bodies, such as the European Food Safety Authority, have disputed this.

If it’s allowed in Canada, why don’t pork producers use it?

Stordy said the move to stop using it came from market demand. Since big markets like Europe and China don’t allow ractopamine, it just made sense to stop using it, he said.

“When the industry looked at the opportunities that it had to diversify or increase market opportunities, it was more … beneficial just not to use it,” he said.

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How does Canada regulate ractopamine in pork?

The Canadian Ractopamine-Free Pork Certification Program, run by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, certifies that pork products exported from Canada are not exposed to ractopamine. It lists certificates for feed facilities across the country, including 40 in Alberta as well as 87 in Quebec, which is Canada’s largest pork producer.

With files from The Canadian Press

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