1 Ractopamine is a beta agonist drug that increases protein synthesis, thereby making the animal more muscular. 2  This reduces the fat content of the meat and increases the profit per animal.actopamine is banned from food production in at least 160 countries around the world, including countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan), due to its suspected health effects. Since 1998, more than 1,700 people have reportedly been poisoned from eating pigs fed the drug.