TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — China is planning to extend its ban on pineapples from Taiwan to include pineapple cakes, a Taiwanese lawmaker said Wednesday (March 24).

The unexpected March 1 ban on the fruit was seen as a politically motivated jab at the island, though Beijing alleged that “harmful creatures” had infested batches of the fruit. Soon dubbed “freedom pineapples,” they were bought up by Taiwanese consumers and exported to countries such as Japan and Australia.

However, China is now planning to ban all Taiwan's pineapple products, including one of its most famous delicacies, the pineapple cake, supposedly because pork fat is used to produce it, the China Times reported.

Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Ann Kao (高虹安) said Chinese customs officials have justified the allegedly imminent ban by saying pork fat might contain residue of the leanness drug ractopamine. Taiwan allowed the import of such meat from the United States in January.

The opposition lawmaker said Taiwanese bakeries and logistics companies had told her the ban would come into effect this week. Other pork products, such as sausages, might also be targeted by China, she added.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs emphasized that since the lifting of the ban on pork containing ractopamine, no such meat has been brought into the country. Imports should face realistic tests and not be dragged into disputes unfairly, ministry officials said.