Abstract: Many countries have prohibited ractopamine from being added into animal diets. Effective determination methods are key points for controlling the illegal application of ractopamine. Some methods and techniques that have recently been applied for detecting ractopamine residues at home and abroad and their current situation of research and application and development prospects are outlined, which will provide a helpful reference for keeping animal-derived products safe.

Key words: ractopamine, animal-derived product, determination