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65-773: Binzhou ( 滨州 ) is a prefecture-level city in Shandong, China. Binzhou may also refer to: Binzhou Human settlement dates to at least the Chinese Neolithic . During the Shang , the area around Binzhou was held by the Pugu , who were counted among the " Eastern Barbarians " or Dongyi . Pugu joined the Shang prince Wu Geng 's failed rebellion against the Zhou and was destroyed c.  1039 , with its lands given to

130-591: A chemical commonly used in pool chlorination, have been thought to be particularly toxic by themselves. The current hypothesis is, although these contaminants are not very toxic individually, their potency appears to be increased when they are present together. On 27 April, researchers from the University of Guelph , in Ontario announced they had created crystals chemically similar to the ones found in contaminated animals by combining melamine and cyanuric acid in

195-463: A marker". Even at the highest observed concentrations found in wheat gluten, the melamine exposure is much smaller than the rat and mouse doses for which effects were seen. Instead, the FDA has suggested a second contaminant may be responsible for the ill effects and melamine, as the most easily identifiable contaminant, may serve as a biomarker , or indicator, for contaminated wheat gluten. According to

260-635: A percentage of the actual cases. She also said the mortality rate is not likely to be representative of all cases, because survey respondents had more information to submit for animals that had died. A number of dogs were also reported affected in Australia, with four in Melbourne and a few more in Sydney. No legal action or repercussions have as yet occurred regarding these cases. Dr. Powers elaborated further: “But there absolutely could be more deaths from

325-554: A professor of veterinary diagnostics at Colorado State University cautioned "There's something more going on than just the mechanical blockage. Because you wouldn't see so much necrosis (cell death) and inflammation.” On 2 May, in further inquiry into the source of the cyanuric acid in the contaminated ingredients and the toxic effects of the chemical combination, Richard Goldstein of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine , in response to reports

390-526: A set value for the lost pets may be difficult. On 23 March 2007, Menu Foods said they will reimburse pet owners who can trace their pets' illnesses to the company's products. One estimate is that the cost to owners of treating sickened pets is between $ 2 million and $ 20 million. By 5 April 2007 the 20 March Chicago lawsuit expanded to federal class-action status, with over 200 plaintiffs seeking punitive damages for emotional distress. The plaintiffs have specifically accused Menu Foods of fraud , claiming

455-467: A single Chinese company. After more than three weeks of complaints from consumers, the recall began voluntarily with the Canadian company Menu Foods on 16 March 2007, when a company test showed sickness and death in some of the test animals. In the following weeks, several other companies that had received the contaminated wheat gluten also voluntarily recalled dozens of pet food brands. One month after

520-414: A textile company, and Binzhou Pride, an automobile company that only lived 2006 until 2008. The Binzhou local government has also plowed resources into a new economic development zone on the outskirts of the new city, complete with a human-made lake. Binhzhou’s economic structure has seen continuous optimization in recent years, with the tertiary sector showing notable growth. In 2023, the value added by

585-427: A tile-like planar structure through molecular self-assembly .) The crystal has been said to serve as a biomarker for contamination and is approximately 30% melamine . The remainder has been identified as cyanuric acid , ammelide and ammeline , with crystals recovered from urine reported to be approximately 70% cyanuric acid. While some researchers have theorized the three latter chemicals might have been formed as

650-443: A town hall). At these meetings, a monthly financial report is presented, highlighting past and planned expenditure, investment performance and such other financial information. In theory , this is supposed to open village finances to greater public scrutiny and debate. Also released at these meetings are reports on the past performance of the government and governmental officials, and future actions and decisions planned, and just like

715-583: A waste product produced in cyanuric acid production . On 8 May 2007, the International Herald Tribune reported three Chinese chemical makers have said animal feed producers often purchase, or seek to purchase, the chemical, cyanuric acid, from their factories to blend into animal feed to give the false appearance of a higher level of protein , suggesting another potentially dangerous way that melamine and cyanuric acid might combine in protein products. A toxicology study conducted at

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780-458: Is a long process." Researchers have focused on the role of melamine and related compounds in causing kidney failure . Beginning on 19 April, researchers reportedly had ruled out aminopterin contamination and had found a "spoke-like crystal" in contaminated wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate and the tissues and urine of affected animals. (It was previously known that melamine and cyanuric acid can form networks of hydrogen bonds , creating

845-464: Is known regionally for its "dongzao" (literally, "winter dates"). After the Shengli Field was discovered, most of the field was incorporated into newly created Dongying, although Binzhou maintain some oil operations. Binzhou has been diversifying its economy away from agriculture by attracting manufacturing and foreign direct investment into the city. Among Binzhou's large businesses are Weiqiao,

910-683: Is no centralized government database of animal sickness or death in the United States as there are with humans (such as the Centers for Disease Control ). For this reason, many sources speculate the full extent of the pet deaths and sicknesses caused by the contamination may never be known. In October, the results of the "AAVLD survey of pet food-induced nephrotoxicity in North America, April to June 2007," were reported, indicating 347 of 486 cases voluntarily reported by 6 June 2007 had met

975-583: Is one of the warmest cities in the world with a continental climate, with summers reaching as high as 31 °C, and the average temperature in the city being 13.0 °C. Conditions are warm and nearly rainless in spring, hot and humid in summer, crisp in autumn and cold and dry in winter. More than half of the annual precipitation occurs in July and August alone; snow occasionally falls during winter, though heavy falls are very rare. Binzhou, and neighboring Dongying , has historically had an agrarian economy. Binzhou

1040-661: Is out to do whatever Menu Foods wants to do in a way that could adversely impact the rights" of the plaintiffs. A 2004 outbreak involving pet foods sickened more than 6,000 dogs and a lesser number of cats in Asia. Kidney failure in the animals was linked to foods manufactured in Thailand by Mars, Inc. Veterinarians in Asia initially blamed the 2004 problems on fungal toxins, but pathology tests conducted in 2007 found melamine and cyanuric acid present in renal tissue from both outbreaks. According to pathologists: "These results indicate that

1105-524: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) to recommend "until this crisis is resolved ... pets be fed products containing U. S.-sourced protein supplements only." Many nonprofit pet shelters rely on donated foods to feed the animals and remain financially stable, but due to the wide use of wheat gluten and other contaminated ingredients in many wet pet foods and

1170-590: The University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine after the recalls concluded the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid in diet does lead to acute kidney injury in cats. Wilson Rumbeiha, an associate professor in MSU's Diagnostic Center for Population and Animal Health, commenting on results from a survey commissioned by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and designed and implemented by MSU toxicologists which

1235-646: The alluvial plain formed by the Yellow River . The entire length of countryside around the river from Pucheng Subdistrict to the Bay of Bohai has been created by deposition of sediment since the Qin Dynasty . The present prefecture borders (counterclockwise from due west) Dezhou , Jinan , Zibo , Dongying , the Bay of Bohai , and Hebei . Binzhou has a monsoon -influenced humid continental climate ( Köppen Dwa ), with four well-defined seasons. Binzhou

1300-547: The minister Jiang Ziya as the march of Qi . The Bamboo Annals suggest the Pugu continued to trouble the Zhou for another decade and state they were again destroyed c.  1026 . Qi became one of the most powerful of China's Warring States but was ruled from Yingqiu (modern Zibo ), except for a brief hiatus under Duke Hu . He relocated to Bogu but was overcome by the revolting people of Yingqiu; his successor restored

1365-671: The FDA and the companies: The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) maintains a combined list of all recalled pet food varieties. By the end of March, veterinary organizations reported more than 100 pet deaths amongst nearly 500 cases of kidney failure, and experts expected the death toll to number in the thousands, with one online database already self-reporting as many as 3,600 deaths as of 11 April. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has received reports of approximately 8500 animal deaths, including at least 1950 cats and 2200 dogs who have died after eating contaminated food, but have only confirmed 14 cases, in part because there

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1430-409: The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine, says " Melamine is not very toxic as a chemical, so we're wondering why we are seeing the kinds of serious conditions, especially the kidney failure, that we're seeing in cats and dogs... We are focusing on the melamine right now because we believe that, even if melamine is not the causative agent, it is somehow associated with the causative agent, so it serves as

1495-423: The FDA, "the association between melamine in the kidneys and urine of cats that died and melamine in the food they consumed is undeniable. Additionally, melamine is an ingredient that should not be in pet food at any level." However, Richard Goldstein of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine has stated that "There appears to be other things in there, other than melamine, but identifying what they are

1560-408: The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals reported the symptoms described in affected animals are not "fully consistent with the ingestion of rat poison containing aminopterin." Sometime in mid-March, an "unnamed pet food company" reported to Cornell they had discovered an industrial chemical used in plastics manufacture, melamine , in internal testing of wheat gluten samples. By 21 March, it became clear

1625-478: The United States. In the ensuing months, many additional recalls were announced by Menu and other companies as the recall expanded throughout North America and to Europe and South Africa. Menu Foods acknowledged receiving the first complaints of sick pets on 20 February 2007, and initiated the recall following unexpected deaths after a regularly scheduled internal "taste test". Overall, several major companies have recalled more than 5300 pet food products, with most of

1690-446: The animal did not eat any of the recalled pet food, as these signs may be indicative of other illnesses. Ultrasounds of animals who have eaten the contaminated food in most cases show cortical echogenicity , perirenal fluid and pyelectasia . One of the largest veterinary hospital chains in the U.S., Banfield , has released statistics on the recent rates of pet kidney failure. Banfield's veterinarians treat an estimated 6 percent of

1755-491: The animals metabolized the melamine, or as byproducts of bacterial metabolism (cyanuric acid is a known intermediate byproduct of bacterial metabolism of melamine), their presence in the crystals found in contaminated protein itself, combined with media reports of widespread adulteration with both melamine and cyanuric acid in China, has focused research efforts on their combined effects in animals. Neither melamine nor cyanuric acid,

1820-590: The cause of the sicknesses, so they sent samples to the New York State Food Laboratory, a part of the federally funded Food Emergency Response Network. On 23 March, the New York State Food Laboratory reported that aminopterin was found in samples sent to them by Cornell. Michigan State University also investigated the source of the kidney failure and made available to researchers and veterinarians pictures and photographs of affected animal kidneys "demonstrating acute tubular necrosis in

1885-484: The chemical increased urine output when fed to dogs in large amounts. The chemical is known to have a very low toxicity in rodents . The U.S. FDA knows of no studies of melamine involving felines and, if melamine is responsible, the increased sensitivity of cats is a mystery to officials. One hypothesis is the poisoned cat foods might have higher concentrations of melamine than the dog foods. Melamine can be detected in blood or urine tests. Stephen Sundlof, director of

1950-440: The common factor was in the wheat gluten used to thicken the gravy in the "cuts and gravy" style wet foods. By 27 March, Cornell had confirmed the presence of melamine in the originally recalled pet foods, the wheat gluten used in their manufacture, the cells of the dead pets, and in the urine samples from dead and sick pets. On 30 March, both Cornell and the FDA announced the presence of melamine had been confirmed. The chemical

2015-467: The company may have known of a problem as early as December. Menu Foods faces 90 class-action lawsuits as a result of the contamination. U.S. District Court Judge Hillman has ordered Menu Foods to have no contact with plaintiffs unless their attorneys are involved in the discussion, after lawyers from six firms representing pet owners claimed the company illegally attempted to contact their clients directly. Hillman has said "It seems to me that Menu Foods

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2080-465: The company, but are encountering difficulties with the valuation of the deceased pets. While many pet owners consider their pets to be a "part of the family," lost pets have traditionally been treated as property, with the potential liability limited to the retail value of the animal. Some states define the monetary value of a pet for litigation or insurance purposes. Other states have allowed suits for punitive damages and emotional distress suffered in

2145-410: The contaminant might be "melamine scrap" left over from processing coal into melamine, hypothesized: “It’s possible the other stuff they were left with was the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, leftover melamine and possibly cyanuric acid. I think it’s this melamine with other compounds that is toxic.” The composition of the crystals analyzed in contaminated pet food ingredients is similar to the composition of

2210-436: The deaths that are out there. There’s no way to guess how many pets were affected.” In a potentially related incident in China, on 22 February 2006, Xinhua reported at least 38 cats dying shortly after being fed with Xiduoyu, a brand of a "Tianjin-based cat food manufacturer". A veterinarian referred to in the story said "test results from Beijing Animal Hospital showed the dead cats had suffered from kidney exhaustion and that

2275-533: The diagnostic criteria, with most of the cases reported from the United States, but also including cases of 20 dogs and 7 cats reported from Canada.The cases involved 235 cats and 112 dogs, with 61 percent of the cats and 74 percent of the dogs having died. Dr. Barbara Powers, AAVLD president and director of the Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, said the survey probably found only

2340-574: The domestic Chinese media, as well as many overseas Chinese media, such as Zhong Guo Daily News in Southern California, or its more commonly known Chinese name among local Chinese readers, China Daily (Not to be confused China Daily , the official English publication of Chinese government), and is termed by both domestic and overseas scholars as a good example for governments in other parts of China to follow, and along with Chinese media, they have urged authorities to slowly but steadily expand

2405-418: The financial reports, these are also under the public scrutiny and debate. The resulting event is a secret ballot for every villager to vote for everything discussed at these meetings and governments cannot proceed on any issues unless they are passed with a majority vote. The issues passed by popular vote would then be carried out, and at the same time, the government would also make improvement and adjustment on

2470-400: The food prior to distribution. As individual lawsuits were filed across the nation, an Ontario, Oregon family filed a class-action lawsuit against Menu Foods, citing emotional damage and economic loss. The lawyers filing the federal lawsuit noted Washington state , which has jurisdiction , had a history of favorable consumer protection precedents in prior pet-related lawsuits, but finding

2535-519: The former capital. The name Binzhou arose under the Five Dynasties period because its land then bordered the Bay of Bohai . The deposition of silt from the Yellow River —which assumed its present course after the disastrous floods of the 1850s—has since moved the site well inland. The city itself was known as Putai into the 20th century, but Putai County was abolished in March 1956 and

2600-417: The government reduced more than 30%, and more importantly, in comparison to the era prior to the implementation of the political reform where over 90% of the petitions were criticism and complaints, over 90% of the petition after the implementation of the political reform was suggestions for improvement and requests for assistance. The obvious achievement of the political reform of Binzhou is widely reported in

2665-487: The ingredients." No mention of melamine was made. Pet owners were advised to monitor their animals for the following signs of possible kidney failure that may be associated with the unknown toxicant : loss of appetite , lethargy , depression , vomiting , diarrhea , sudden changes in water consumption, and changes in the frequency or amount of urination . It was advised that pets exhibiting these symptoms should be taken for veterinary care as soon as possible, even if

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2730-474: The initial recall, contaminated rice protein from a different source in China was also identified as being associated with kidney failure in pets in the United States, while contaminated corn gluten was associated with kidney failure with pets in South Africa. As a result of investigating the 2007 pet food recalls, a broader Chinese protein export contamination investigation unfolded, raising concerns about

2795-470: The kidney with intratubular crystals." Aminopterin was widely described in news reports as a " rat poison ", though that assertion may be based upon a hypothetical use listed in the 1951 patent application and not upon the actual use of the chemical. Aminopterin is illegal in China, and neither Cornell University nor the FDA could replicate the New York lab's results. On 27 March, the American Society for

2860-575: The laboratory under pH conditions similar to those in animal kidneys. In light of these findings, on 1 May, the American Veterinary Medical Association noted in a press release the "extremely insoluble" crystals formed in animal kidneys are suspected of blocking kidney function. On 7 May, however, Barbara Powers, president of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians and

2925-425: The large portion of foods represented in the recall, many pet shelters have had to discard foods despite the financial burden of doing so. Unable to locate the source of the kidney failure exhibited by test subjects that consumed some of their wet food products, Menu Foods sent food samples to Cornell University between 13 March and 15 March for chemical analysis . They too, were not immediately able to pinpoint

2990-628: The loss of a pet. After word of the recall and reports of animal deaths began to spread, Menu Foods was served with several individual lawsuits over the deaths of affected pets. On 20 March 2007 after the death of her cat, a woman in Chicago , Illinois sued Menu Foods for negligence in delaying the recall. The same day, lawyers for a Knoxville , Tennessee woman filed suit in Federal Court against Menu Foods for $ 25 million and hoping to attain class action status , citing negligence in testing

3055-488: The market. They reported 284 more cases of kidney failure in cats than the expected "background rate," corresponding to a 30 percent increase. During that period, the Banfield vets saw 100,000 cats. According to Hugh Lewis, who analyzed the results for Banfield, extrapolating to the United States cat population may mean "several hundred cats a week across the country" were affected. No similar statistically significant increase

3120-470: The matter by 12 April. The economic impact on the pet food market has been extensive, with Menu Foods alone losing at least $ 42 million from the recall, even without taking into account reduced sales. The several waves of recalls, many issued late on Friday evenings possibly to avoid media coverage, and the events have caused distrust in some consumers. Many owners of pets stricken after consuming Menu Foods' product have considered filing lawsuits against

3185-700: The name now survives only as the town's Pucheng Subdistrict. Public works have reduced the destructiveness of the river, permitting Binzhou and neighboring Dongying to be developed into cities. The former Huimin Prefecture ( 惠民地区 ) was renamed Binzhou in 1984. It was given city status in 1992. At the end of 2022, the city had a resident population of 3,918,600 people. The major Industries are based on oil ( Shengli Oil Field ), chemicals, and textiles. The prefecture-level city of Binzhou administers seven county-level divisions , including two districts , one county-level city and four counties . Binzhou lies on

3250-400: The nation's cats and dogs, and their findings provide "the most authoritative picture of the harm done by the tainted cat and dog food," according to the FDA. Based on analysis of data collected by more than 600 hospitals and clinics in 43 states, out of every 10,000 cats and dogs seen in Banfield clinics, three developed kidney failure during the time pet food contaminated with melamine was on

3315-414: The policies and issues that did not pass, and then present the revisions for the public scrutiny and debate at the next meeting. Ever since the implementation of the political reform at Binzhou, the policy and performance have become transparent and obvious, corruption was checked, cadres' performance and popular support increased, and economy has steadily developed. The letters of petition from villagers to

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3380-497: The products not containing wheat gluten. Melamine has also been implicated in corn gluten in South Africa. Despite the presence of the industrial chemical in both the food and in the animals, the FDA has made it clear they are still in the middle of an extensive investigation, and "not yet fully certain that melamine is the causative agent." Prior animal studies have shown ingestion of melamine may lead to kidney stones , cancer or reproductive damage . One 1945 study suggested

3445-754: The recall, with calls for greater government regulation. Reports of widespread and possibly intentional adulteration of Chinese animal feed with melamine raised the issue of melamine contamination in the human food supply , both in China and abroad. Research has focused on the combination of melamine and cyanuric acid in causing kidney failure. Reports that cyanuric acid may be an independently and potentially widely used adulterant in China have heightened concerns for both pet and human health. In 2008 baby foods contaminated with melamine in China affected an estimated 300,000 children, with hospitalisations and deaths. The first recalls were announced by Menu Foods late on Friday, 16 March 2007, for cat and dog food products in

3510-460: The recalls coming from Menu Foods. The contamination was caused by melamine in the affected foods. The Chinese company behind the contaminated wheat gluten has initially denied any involvement in the contamination, but is cooperating with Chinese and American investigators. The recalls are related to contaminated vegetable proteins, imported from China in 2006 and early 2007, used as pet food ingredients. The process of identifying and accounting for

3575-439: The reform to a greater scale. 2007 pet food recalls Beginning in March 2007, there was a widespread recall of many brands of cat and dog foods due to contamination with melamine and cyanuric acid . The recalls in North America, Europe, and South Africa came in response to reports of kidney failure in pets. Initially, the recalls were associated with the consumption of mostly wet pet foods made with wheat gluten from

3640-405: The safety of the human food supply. By the end of March, veterinary organizations reported more than 100 pet deaths among nearly 500 cases of kidney failure. However, many sources speculate that the actual number of affected pets may never be known, and experts think that the actual death toll could potentially reach into the thousands. In the United States there was extensive media coverage of

3705-483: The sick ones have kidney damage." Suspicions at that time focused on lead poisoning though Gu Junhua, a chief engineer from China's "national feedstuff quality check centre under the Ministry of Agriculture", was reported as saying: "But at present, he said it was difficult to draw any conclusions because the country has not drafted any food safety criteria for pets in terms of the quality and quantity of each element of

3770-415: The source of the contamination and how the contaminant causes sickness is ongoing. The majority of recalled foods have come from a single company, Menu Foods of Streetsville, Ontario . Menu Foods' recalled products alone represent nearly 100 brands of cat and dog food, and as of 11 April, are the only brands known to have caused sickness in animals. Below is an overview of affected brands, as provided by

3835-543: The source of the contamination linked to pet deaths, and Chinese authorities closed down Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Company and Binzhou Futian Biology Technology Co. Ltd., the two companies linked to the contaminated products. In the United States, there has been extensive media coverage of the recall. There has been widespread public outrage and calls for government regulation of pet foods, which had previously been self-regulated by pet food manufacturers. The United States Senate held an oversight hearing on

3900-412: The tainted pet food.... This survey didn’t catch all the deaths that happened. In order to be counted in our survey, you had to meet certain criteria.... If someone had a pet that died and they buried it in their back[yard], they weren’t eligible for our survey. We had to have confirmed exposure to the recalled pet food, proof of toxicity, and clinical signs of kidney failure. So this is only a percentage of

3965-708: The tertiary sector reached 151.518 billion RMB, with the modern service industry as the main driver, contributing 72.062 billion RMB, accounting for 47.6% of the tertiary sector’s total. Meanwhile, county-level economies within Binzhou, such as Bincheng District, Zouping City, and Boxing County, contributed 54.9% of the city’s GDP. These regions have developed distinctive regional economies, including Boxing’s kitchenware industry and Zhanhua’s winter jujube production  . In April 2007, Binzhou made international headlines when Binzhou Futian Biology Technology, in Wudi County,

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4030-855: Was also presented at the AAVLD's October 2007 meeting, said: "Unfortunately, these [melamine cyanurate] crystals don’t dissolve easily. They go away slowly, if at all, so there is the potential for chronic toxicity.” Some pet owners have become concerned over the safety of all processed pet foods, and have chosen to forgo store-bought prepared pet foods in favor of preparing food from ingredients at home. The popularity of books on home preparation of pet foods has rocketed on Amazon.com . Some veterinarians have pointed out that animal diets are difficult to maintain in terms of nutritional appropriateness and safety, and are best served by store-bought preparations, an assertion disputed by some practitioners of home-made animal foods. American and Chinese authorities investigated

4095-452: Was found in the suspected wheat gluten in raw concentrations as high as 6.6%. Stephen Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian said, "There was a sizable amount of melamine. You could see crystals in the wheat gluten." In addition to wheat gluten, products containing rice protein have also been contaminated with melamine. Natural Balance Pet Foods recalled two products on 16 April due to kidney damage associated with melamine contamination despite

4160-472: Was identified by US officials as one of two sources of contaminated wheat gluten in the 2007 pet food recalls . Shortly after, the company was shuttered by Chinese authorities, who also detained its general manager. In 2004, the Binzhou government implemented Democratic Political Discussion Day , held on the 5th of each month. Under this scheme, every village-level government on this day is required to hold "open debate" and conference for villagers (essentially

4225-524: Was seen among dogs, suggesting the contamination was more toxic to cats. As of 4 May, the FDA advised: "If your pet food is not listed [as recalled on its website], the pet food is not affected by the recall and you can continue to feed it to your pets; however, if your pet exhibits a sudden onset of symptoms including loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, stop feeding the pet food and contact your veterinarian." The growing number of recalls has motivated at least one well-known animal protection organization,

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