In recent years, there have been numerous poisoning incidents linked to "lean meat" pork in China. This time, due to a well-known company being involved, the issue has drawn widespread public attention. Media reports have highlighted the dangers of "lean meat," making many people believe it's a serious threat. But is this really the case? "Clenbuterol" refers to a group of similar drugs. Among them, Clenbuterol Hydrochloride is the most commonly used and the primary cause of poisoning from "lean meat" pork. Originally developed as an asthma medication for treating bronchial asthma and wheezing bronchitis, it was later discovered in the 1980s that adding Clenbuterol to pig feed could increase protein synthesis and accelerate fat breakdown, resulting in leaner meat. This marked the beginning of its use in the livestock industry. However, using Clenbuterol at high doses in feed is necessary to achieve the desired effect, often more than ten times the human dosage. The drug is metabolized slowly in the body, with a half-life of about 30 hours. Due to the large dose and prolonged use, significant amounts of Clenbuterol remain in the pigs, and since it’s stable, it doesn’t break down easily during normal cooking. As a result, consuming contaminated pork can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, hand tremors, heart palpitations, arrhythmia, and even sudden cardiac arrest. No country has approved Clenbuterol as a feed additive, yet some Chinese farmers continue to use it illegally to keep pigs lean. Recently, a compound called ractopamine hydrochloride has emerged as a legal alternative to Clenbuterol in many countries. Unlike Clenbuterol, ractopamine is used in much smaller quantities—about 4.5 to 18 grams per ton of feed—to significantly improve the lean meat ratio. Moreover, it is rapidly metabolized by pigs, with a half-life of only around 4 hours. After seven days of feeding, over 97% of ractopamine is excreted through urine and feces, leaving very little residue. While it can still be harmful to humans in high doses, the safe threshold is quite high. For instance, one would need to consume more than 20,000 micrograms daily to experience any adverse effects. Because of its low residual levels, pigs fed with ractopamine don't need to be withheld before slaughter, and eating up to 350 kg of pork or 15 kg of pig liver per day would still fall within the safety range. Obviously, no one would eat that much, so ractopamine is considered relatively safe. In 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ractopamine as a feed additive, setting a maximum residue limit of 50 ppb (parts per billion). The World Health Organization recommends a limit of 40 ppb. More than 20 countries currently allow its use, but it remains banned in China. The demand for leaner pork continues to drive the industry, and while Clenbuterol is effective, it's also highly dangerous. Eliminating its use entirely is difficult, which is why "Clenbuterol pork" keeps reappearing despite bans. Since Clenbuterol is illegal, farmers face the same legal risks regardless of which drug they use, leading them to choose the cheapest and most toxic option—Clenbuterol Hydrochloride. If a safer, legal alternative were available, many would prefer it. Some domestic media have wrongly labeled ractopamine as a new and more dangerous form of "Clenbuterol." This is not accurate. Unlike Clenbuterol, ractopamine has not been shown to cause harm to humans when used properly. Its known side effects are primarily related to pigs. From a scientific perspective, banning ractopamine as a "Clenbuterol-like" substance is irrational. Allowing its use could reduce or even eliminate the illegal use of Clenbuterol, as seen in countries like the United States. However, due to public fear of "Clenbuterol," ractopamine is unfairly associated with it. It's unlikely that China will approve it as a legal feed additive anytime soon. Just as some harmless flour whitening agents have recently been banned, food safety decisions are sometimes influenced by public opinion rather than science. Manual Hydraulic Expanding Tools ZHEJIANG KINGSIR VALVE CO., LTD. , https://www.cn-kingsir.com
Rational Thinking on "Clenbuterol"