A beta agonist drug that increases protein synthesis, thereby making the animal more muscular.
A new report for MSNBC by Helena Bottemiller revealed ractopamine hydrochloride, a growth promoting drug, has become the focus of an international trade dispute due to its potential effects on human health. Ractopamine is used in both pigs (trade name Paylean), cows (trade name Optaflexx) and turkeys (trade name Tomax). The controversy with exports arises because use of the drug is banned in 160 countries. In fact, it’s easier to list the countries that allow it: US, Canada, Mexico, and Japan. Ractopamine is sold under three brand names, all made by the same company: Paylean, Optaflexx and Tomax. Paylean is fed to pigs for the last 28 days of their lives, Optaflexx to cattle for the last 28 to 42 days of their lives, and Tomax to turkeys for the last 7 to 14 days of their lives. This is odd, he says, because ractopamine is a very big deal in the pork industry. Most pigs in America get this drug, because it's extremely effective. It's a beta agonist and has effects that are similar to adrenaline. It gets a pig to put on more muscle, instead of fat, and also put on weight more quickly.  1 Ractopamine is administered in the days leading up to slaughter, and as much as 20 percent of it can remain in the meat you buy. 2  Animal research has linked ractopamine to reductions in reproductive function; birth defects; increase of mastitis in dairy herds; and increased disability and death. Ractopamine is banned from food production in at least 160 countries around the world, including countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan), due to its suspected health effects. Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have reportedly been poisoned from eating pigs fed the drug. Ractopamine is a feed additive to promote leanness in animals raised for their meat. Ractopamine is not considered to be a carcinogen and not listed by IARC, NTP, ACGIH, or OSHA. The observation benign leiomyomas (tumors of smooth muscle) in mice and rats could be due to a general feature of beta-adrenergic activity of ractopamine. When used as a food additive, ractopamine added to feed can be distributed via the blood to the muscle tissues, where it serves as a full agonist at mouse (not necessarily human) TAAR1. A cascade of events will then be initiated to increase protein synthesis, which results in increased muscle fiber size. Ractopamine is not considered to be a carcinogen and not listed by IARC, NTP, ACGIH, or OSHA. The observation benign leiomyomas (tumors of smooth muscle) in mice and rats could be due to a general feature of beta-adrenergic activity of ractopamine. While few consumers are aware of ractopamine’s use in meat production, the additive has for years been a source of conflict between countries that ban its use it, including the EU, and those that use it, including the U.S., which is aggressively pushing for greater access to markets for agricultural products.  Ractopamine is a growth promoter drug. It is widely used on intensive livestock farms in the U.S. because it increases the rate of weight gain and carcass leanness in pigs, cattle and turkey. It's estimated that up to 80 percent of the U.S. pig herd is fed the drug every year. Alamy. If you haven't heard of the drug ractopamine before, you're probably not alone. But if you've eaten intensively reared pork, beef or turkey, then you will almost certainly have consumed meat from an animal that's been fed the drug -- and probably eaten ractopamine yourself. It's also used in turkey farming. FDA Sued for Withholding Records Pertaining to Ractopamine Safety Ractopamine is a beta agonist drug that increases protein synthesis, thereby making the animal more muscular. This reduces the fat content of the meat and increases the profit per animal. Ractopamine is banned from food production in at least 160 countries around the world, including countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan), due to its suspected health effects. Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have reportedly been poisoned from eating pigs fed the drug. 1 Ractopamine is a beta agonist drug that increases protein synthesis, thereby making the animal more muscular. 2  This reduces the fat content of the meat and increases the profit per animal. Ractopamine is banned from food production in at least 160 countries around the world, including countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan), due to its suspected health effects. Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have reportedly been poisoned from eating pigs fed the drug.
http://foodct.com/2012/01/26/what-is-ractopamine-dispute-over-drug-in-feed-limiting-us-meat-exports/ http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/08/14/432102733/a-muscle-drug-for-pigs-comes-out-of-the-shadows http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/24/ractopamine-beta-agonist-drug.aspx https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ractopamine https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ractopamine http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/06/smithfield-sale-raises-new-questions-about-future-of-ractopamine/ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-gunther/would-you-like-extra-ract_b_2206643.html http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/24/ractopamine-beta-agonist-drug.aspx http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/12/24/ractopamine-beta-agonist-drug.aspx
what is ractopamine