Alleging food safety issues, the protests decried ending Taiwan's long-standing ban on US pork and beef imports that due to be lifted in January.

Manufacturing Net
Date: Nov 23rd, 2020
By: Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Thousands of people marched in Taipei's streets on Sunday demanding the reversal of a decision to allow U.S. pork imports into Taiwan, alleging food safety issues.

President Tsai Ing-wen's administration lifted a long-standing ban on U.S. pork and beef imports in August, in a move seen as one of the first steps toward possibly negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the U.S. The ban is due to be lifted in January.

That decision has met with fierce opposition, both by the opposition Kuomintang party and individual citizens. The new policy allows imports of pork with acceptable residues of ractopamine, a drug added into animal feed that promotes the growth of lean meat that some farmers use in pigs.

The drug is banned by the European Union, but is legal in the United States.    [FULL  STORY]