Background:
Ractopamine is a drug that is used as a feed additive to promote leanness in pigs raised for their meat. Pharmacologically, it is a beta-adrenoceptor agonist. It is the active ingredient in products known as Paylean for swine and Optaflexx for cattle, developed by Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly and Company, for use in food animals for growth promotion.