Rational Thinking on "Clenbuterol"

JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

In recent years, there have been many poisoning incidents caused by “lean meat” pork in China. This time, because of a famous enterprise, it has caused unprecedented attention. In the media, the criticism of "skinny meat" made people think that this is really a terrible thing. Is this true? JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving livestock

"Clenbuterol" is a common name for several similar drugs. The earliest used in China, the most used, and the culprit of "lean meat" pork poisoning is Clenbuterol Hydrochloride. Clenbuterol is an antiasthmatic drug used to treat bronchial asthma and wheezing bronchitis. In the 1980s, it was discovered that if Clenbuterol is used as a feed additive, pigs will promote protein synthesis during metabolism, accelerate the conversion and decomposition of fat, and increase the lean rate of pork. The first type of "clenbuterol". JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

However, clenbuterol hydrochloride should be used in large amounts in feed to achieve the effect of increasing lean meat rate, which is more than 10 times that of human medicine. Clenbuterol is metabolized in the body at a slower rate, with a half-life (a reduction of half the time required) to approximately 30 hours. Due to the large dose, long use time and slow metabolism, the amount of “clenbuterol” in pigs is very large, and because of the stable nature of “clenbuterol”, it will decompose when heated to 172 °C, so the general home cooking Can not destroy its toxicity, human consumption will be poisoned, dizziness, nausea, tremors of hands and feet, palpitations and arrhythmia, and even sudden cardiac arrest caused by coma. Therefore, no institution in the world has approved Clenbuter as a feed additive. However, some pig farmers in China have illegally added clenbuterol to the feed in order to prevent the pork from becoming fat. JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

In recent years, a drug called ractopamine hydrochloride is becoming a legal substitute for clenbuterol in foreign countries. Unlike clenbuterol, the dose of ractopamine is very small, and the addition of 4.5-18 clad dopamine per ton of feed can significantly increase the lean rate of pork. Moreover, ractopamine is rapidly metabolized in pigs, with a half-life of only about 4 hours. After 7 days of feeding, 97% of ractopamine has been excreted from urine and feces, and the residual amount is low. It is also very toxic to humans. Eating 10 micrograms of ractopamine hydrochloride a day can cause symptoms, such as an accelerated heart rate. But for ractopamine, it is possible to show symptoms after eating more than 20,000 micrograms a day. JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

Due to the low residual amount, pigs fed with ractopamine do not actually need to be discontinued and can be slaughtered on the same day. Eating 350 kg of pork or 15 kg of pig liver a day, the intake of ractopamine is still in safe range. Of course, it is impossible for anyone to eat so much pork and pig liver, so ractopamine is very safe. In 1999, the US Food and Drug Administration approved ractopamine hydrochloride as a feed additive. The residual amount in pork should not exceed 50 ppb (1 ppb = 1 part per billion). The World Health Organization recommends that the residual amount of ractopamine in pork should not exceed 40 ppb. There are currently more than 20 countries that allow the use of ractopamine hydrochloride, but it is banned in other countries such as China. JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

The pig industry has the need to increase the rate of pork lean meat, and “Clenbuterol” can meet such needs. It is very difficult to eliminate the use of “Clenbuterol”, so “Clenbuterol” pork is repeatedly prohibited in China. Since “Clenbuterol” has been banned, no matter which “Clenbuterol” is used, the legal risk is the same for pig farmers, so they prefer to use the cheapest, but most toxic. Clenbuterol hydrochloride. If there is a legally safe "Clenbuterol" to choose from, many pig farmers will use it without risking the law. JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry

Some domestic reports have described ractopamine as a new type of "clenbuterol" that is more terrible than Clenbuterol. This is nonsense. Unlike Clenbuterol Hydrochloride, it has not been found that the addition of ractopamine as a "clenbuterol" has adverse effects on the human body. The known side effects are occurring in pigs. From a scientific point of view, it is unreasonable to disable ractopamine as a "clenbuterol". If the ban is lifted, it can reduce or even eliminate the illegal use of Clenbuterol. The situation in countries such as the United States also proves this. However, when everyone is afraid of "clenbuterol", ractopamine can only be unlucky with Clenbuterol. I am afraid that no one has the courage to approve ractopamine as a legal "clenbuterol" for use in China. Just as safe and harmless flour whiteners have recently been banned, decisions made in the area of ​​food safety are sometimes not based on scientific evidence, but succumb to unreasonable public opinion. JXr China Feed Industry Information Network - based on feed, serving animal husbandry