Ractopamine: The Meat Additive on Your Plate That’s Banned Almost Everywhere But America

Have you ever heard of ractopamine? Neither have most US food consumers though it is used in 80 percent of US pig and cattle operations. The asthma drug-like growth additive, called a beta-agonist, has enjoyed stealth use in the US food supply for a decade despite being widely banned overseas. Ractopamine is banned in the EU, Russia, China, Taiwan and many other countries. The Center for Food Safety (CFS) and Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) have sued the FDA for withholding records pertaining to ractopamine's safety.