In the midst of the coronavirus chaos and uncertainty, some good news is to be had for U.S. beef producers. China has proposed food safety standards regarding hormone residue levels in beef, which is a step closer to opening up the Chinese market for U.S. beef.
Previously, China had a zero-tolerance policy for any level of growth hormone residue found in beef products. This has led to a restriction in the amount of beef exported to China.
However, in the Phase One trade deal signed in January, China agreed to adopt residue limits for three hormones used in beef: zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melangesterol acetate.
The proposed standards were published the second week of March on China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs website, following a public comment period that closed on March 6, according to news outlet Reuters.
The proposed standard for zeranol and trenbolone acetate was 2 micrograms per kilogram, and the standard for melengestrol acetate was 1 migrogram per kilogram. The standards were for beef muscle and did not include offal.
The standards are in accordance with Codex Alimentarius, which is a compilation of international food safety standards. It is uncertain when the standards will come into effect; the trade deal reads only that China agreed to adopt maximum reside levels within a month of the deal coming into effect on Feb. 14.
The new standards would also apply to any other country exporting beef to China.
Analysts told Reuters that it would still take time to grow the Chinese beef market.
“They still need to find the distribution model and the consumers willing to pay for a high quality beef with high prices,” Justin Sherrard, Rabobank global strategist of animal protein, told Reuters.
Beef demand in China may also vary depending on the effects of the coronavirus and African swine fever outbreaks.
“We don’t anticipate China’s imports to grow this year, and they may even come down,” Sherrard added.
Last month, China conditionally lifted a ban on beef and beef products from U.S. cattle older than 30 months old, another agreement under the Phase One deal. — Anna Miller, WLJ editor
