Elanco, the global manufacturer and marketer of Paylean for swine and Optaflexx for cattle (ractopamine hydrochloride), welcomes China’s ban on the export of ractopamine and ractopamine hydrochloride products from China as a step toward eliminating the production and use for food animals of “black and grey market” versions of ractopamine in China and other parts of the world.
“Only Elanco’s branded Paylean and Optaflexx products have gone through the stringent human safety assessment procedures by the United States and 25 other regulatory authorities around the world and been determined as safe for use in food animals,” says Dennis Erpelding, Elanco’s director of corporate affairs for China and International Trade. “Further, only Elanco’s branded product have been assessed through the global Codex standards establishment body.
“Elanco’s branded ractopamine hydrochloride products, Paylean and Optaflexx, are not approved, available or sold within China, and thus any such product used within China is different from Elanco’s. We are pleased to support the China government in their efforts to ensure the safe use of well-tested, well-regulated products and eliminate those ‘grey and black market’ products that potentially pose a food safety risk to consumers. The production of a safe, abundant and sustainable food supply is a shared interest of the China government and Elanco,” says Erpelding.
He notes: “We are in regular contact with Chinese officials to discuss how our safe, branded products can help overcome the daunting challenge of providing sufficient safe food through a secure supply chain for China’s rapidly growing population.”