date:May 31, 2013
class of growth promoting agents called beta-agonists, which are now part of the $22 billion global market in medicines, vaccines, feed additives and parasiticides for pets and livestock.
Ractopamine is a beta-agonist. Initially developed to treat asthma in humans, ractopamine was found to be extremely effective at changing the metabolism of an animal, so that the animal would quickly and cost-effectively add sought-after muscle. The FDA approved the use of beta-agonists in pigs in 1999, for ca