Taiwan Ractopamine-Fed Pork Referendum Fails, Here's What It Means

Taiwan's opposition suffered a setback on Saturday after voters rejected four referendums it had championed as a show of no confidence in the government, Reuters reports.

The defeat of the referendums comes as Taipei faces growing military and political pressure from Beijing, the article said, and is a boost for President Tsai Ing-wen, re-elected last year on vows to stand up to China.

One of the two most contentious referendums asked whether to ban imports of pork containing the leanness-enhancing additive ractopamine on safety grounds.

On Jan. 1, Taiwan lifted the ban of ractopamine-fed pork imports from the U.S. Reuters reports the government hoped this would remove a stumbling block for a free trade deal with the U.S., and show it is a reliable trade partner.

Voter turnout on Saturday was low, but the government said it welcomed the referendums' defeat.

Taiwan's government hopes the result will also bolster its case to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP.

The Consumers' Foundation is calling for mandatory ractopamine labeling for all meat imports after the rejection of the referendum proposal, Taiwan News reports.

More from Farm Journal's PORK:

Despite Ractopamine Fears, Taiwan’s Pork Consumption is on the Rise

Pork Prices Climb in Taiwan, Consumers Turn Away from Imported Pork

Taiwan Lifts Ban on Ractopamine in U.S. Pork Imports