Taiwan said it plans to lift its ban on the leanness-enhancing feed additive ractopamine, a dramatic shift from earlier calls to crack down on its use, according to the Taipei Times.

In a joint statement, Taiwan's Council of Agriculture (COA) and Department of Health (DOH) said they would lift the ban soon, but did not set a firm date.

DOH officials said a panel of 19 experts reached consensus on ractopamine's safety. The agency proposed maximum allowable residue levels in pork and beef at 10 parts per billion (ppb) for muscle and fatty tissue, 40ppb in liver and 90ppb in kidney.

The feed additive became an issue last month when shipments of U.S. pork were found to contain residues of less than 1ppb of the substance, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration but banned in Taiwan. Pig farmer protests earlier this month led to calls for stricter enforcement of the ban and the farmers have vowed to take to the streets again if the government lifts the ban.