date:Feb 04, 2013
ports will be certified ractopamine-free before being shipped to Russia.
The drug, which is a beta-agonist and mimics stress hormones, is fed primarily to swine and cattle in the weeks leading up to slaughter to improve the rate at which the animals convert feed to lean muscle. It was first approved by the FDA in 1999 for pigs, and has since been approved for cattle and turkeys.
Around two dozen countries have approved ractopamine as safe for use, but the European Union, China and several othe