Brussels, 22/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 22 October, the Agriculture Council deplored the adoption by the Codex Alimentarius commission of an international standard laying down maximum residue limits (MRL) for ractopamine in beef and pork meat, by a simple majority vote, with just two votes against.
The Council stresses that the use of veterinary drugs such as growth promoters and the import of meat from animals treated with these substances is strictly prohibited in the EU. It points out that the policy of the European Union towards ractopamine is based on persisting scientific uncertainty about the safety of products derived from animals treated with this substance, and that it also takes account of animal health concerns. The Council confirmed its decision to maintain the existing EU legislation on beta-agonists, which bans the use of, and the import of meat from animals treated with, growth promoters such as ractopamine. It calls on the European Commission to apply effective measures with a view to: - third countries where ractopamine is authorised to have in place an effective dual system, allowing for a ractopamine-free production chain for meat intended for export to the EU; - the Food and Veterinary Office continuing to prioritise the auditing of control measures in countries exporting to the EU. The member states of the EU are encouraged to continue to develop and validate analytical methods for detecting the presence of ractopamine in meat. (LC/transl.fl)