Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Orijen Ingredients and Preservatives

Click on the relevant question about Orijen Ingredients and Preservatives to see the answer.

• Does ORIJEN contain ethoxyquin?
• Are ORIJEN products affected by the melamine related pet food recalls?
• Why are there sometimes variances on the ORIJEN kibble?
• Why do ORIJEN foods contain botanicals?
• ORIJEN contains kelp so is ORIJEN high in iodine?
• Are ORIJEN meats human grade?
• Fresh vs. raw ingredients - what's the difference?
• ORIJEN contains taurine, what is its source?
• Where do your chicken ingredients come from?
• Where do your eggs come from?
• Where do ORIJEN fresh fish come from?
• Do you test fish for heavy metals?
• Are your fresh fish wild-caught or farmed?
• Potatoes are night shade vegetables? Are they healthy?
• Does ORIJEN contain vitamin K3?

Questions about Champion Pet Foods

Click on the relevant question about Champion Pet Foods to see the answer.

• Does Champion outsource the production of ORIJEN Petfoods?
• Does Champion Petfoods produce ORIJEN in their own factories?
• Many pet foods are made at factories that are not owned or controlled by the brand. What about ORIJEN?
• How long has Champion been making pet foods?
• What makes Champion different from the typical multinational pet food makers?

Questions of Health

Click on the relevant question about Health to see the answer.

• Does ORIJEN promote urinary health?
• Is ORIJEN suitable for overweight cats and dogs?
• Will high protein diets cause my dog or cat to be fat?
• Does higher protein stress the kidneys?
• Is ORIJEN suitable for a large breed puppy or dog?
• High protein and joint health for large breed dogs
• What is Zea Mays and why is it in ORIJEN?

Does ORIJEN contain ethoxyquin?
No. ORIJEN fish meats arrive FRESH; which means they are never frozen and have no preservatives what-so-ever. We work directly with our fish meal suppliers and pay them a premium to have ORIJEN fish meals preserved naturally with Vitamin E, Citric acid and Rosemary extract instead of the commonly used ethoxyquin preservative.

Are ORIJEN products affected by the melamine related pet food recalls?
No. We do not use vegetable proteins (wheat, rice or corn glutens) in the production of ORIJEN and all ORIJEN meat ingredients are sourced fresh within our region. All ORIJEN protein ingredients are produced in Canada to meet the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) standards.

Why are there sometimes variances on the ORIJEN kibble?
ORIJEN is a natural product produced in small batches from FRESH local ingredients. Such "niche" or "specialty" production means that there are small variances in the ORIJEN size, color and shape.

We like to explain these variances by comparing pet food to a bakery: consider buying bread from a specialty bakery in your neighborhood - while the bread will taste the same, the loaf will be a little different each time. However, if you buy your bread in a plastic bag from Walmart, it will probably look exactly the same every time...

Why do ORIJEN foods contain botanicals?
ORIJEN is designed to match the natural diet as closely as is possible in a kibble format. Botanicals are a part of the natural diet for all cats and dogs, and play an important role in bridging the gap between good health and peak conditioning. The botanicals found in ORIJEN are selected by one of North America's leading Homeopathic Veterinarians.

ORIJEN contains kelp so is ORIJEN high in iodine?
No. ORIJEN diets contain between 4.0 mg/kg and 6.0 mg/kg of iodine from Kelp - close to the lower limits for iodine established by AAFCO. The kelp in ORIJEN is rich in 64 minerals that are in a highly bioavailable organic form.

Are ORIJEN meats human grade?
Yes. All ORIJEN fresh meats (chicken, fish, turkey, eggs) are of table quality. Chicken, fish and turkey meals are produced exclusively from animals that are certified as fit for human consumption by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

Fresh vs. raw ingredients - what's the difference?
RAW means the ingredient has not been cooked before processing, but has been preserved either by freezing, chemical preservatives, or a combination of both.

FRESH means the meats are never frozen and contain no preservatives. Unlike most commercial pet foods, ORIJEN is made with FRESH REGIONAL MEATS that are processed the same day we receive them, and are a key factor in the superior palatability and feeding performance of ORIJEN.

ORIJEN contains taurine, what is its source?
ORIJEN cat foods list Taurine in the Guaranteed Analysis but not in the Ingredient Panel. This is because ORIJEN is very rich in meats (in which Taurine is naturally present) and therefore no supplementation is required. Most foods do not contain sufficient Taurine in natural form (from meat) and so must supplement with a Taruine ingredient.

Where do your chicken ingredients come from?
Our chicken ingredients come from the Alberta Chicken Producers and are made fresh from grain-fed Alberta chickens. Our fresh chicken is table grade and arrives FRESH - never frozen and without any preservatives - and is processed into ORIJEN the day it is received. Our chicken meals and fats are produced from human-grade chicken ingredients in Alberta, Canada.

Learn more about our chicken ingredients here.

Where do your eggs come from?
All eggs in ORIJEN are from Alberta Egg Producers. Our eggs are table grade and arrive FRESH - never frozen and without any preservatives - and are processed into ORIJEN the same day they are received.

Learn more about our egg ingredients here.

Where do ORIJEN fresh fish come from?
Our Fresh fish are wild-caught from clean northern lakes of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg and the North West Territories of Canada.

Learn more about our fish ingredients here.

Do you test fish for heavy metals?
Yes. Although our fish are fished from clean northern lakes, our supplier provides us with heavy metal and mercury test results. All our fresh fish are fit for human consumption, meet all Government of Canada food regulations for daily consumption, and are a world-class source of long-chain omega 3 fatty acids.

Learn more about our fish ingredients here.

Are your fresh fish wild-caught or farmed?
All fresh fish in ORIJEN are caught wild in Canada's northern lakes or pacific seas.

The Fresh Water Fish Company of Canada advocates controlled and sustainable fishing practices, and so the fish caught to produce ORIJEN are fished in a responsible and sustainable fashion.

Learn more about our fish ingredients here.

Potatoes are night shade vegetables? Are they healthy?
Potato is a healthy alternative to the grains in most of today's processed pet foods. Our potatoes are processed at low temperature (90°c) and do not contain skins or leafs.

Does ORIJEN contain vitamin K3?
Champion Petfoods' diets are entirely free of Vitamin K3.

Does Champion outsource the production of ORIJEN Petfoods?
No. ORIJEN products are made exclusively within our own factories here in Morinville, Alberta, Canada.

Does Champion Petfoods produce ORIJEN in their own factories?
Yes. Champion owns their own state-of-the-art pet food processing facilities in Morinville, Alberta where we make ORIJEN and ACANA pet foods.

Many pet foods are made at factories that are not owned or controlled by the brand. What about ORIJEN?
ORIJEN is made exclusively in our own factories and ORIJEN is never made or packaged in any other facility.

How long has Champion been making pet foods?
Since 1975 - over a quarter century!

What makes Champion different from the typical multinational pet food makers?
Champion is a family owned-and-operated, boutique pet food producer with a mission that is simple and strong: make world-class pet foods from fresh regional ingredients.

Does ORIJEN promote urinary health?
Yes. Due to the high meat content and low magnesium content, ORIJEN is naturally acidic and helps promote a healthy bladder.

ORIJEN foods have a pH of about 5.5, which is naturally mildly acidic and well suited to the maintenance of healthy bladder function in both cats and dogs.

Is ORIJEN suitable for overweight cats and dogs?
Yes. ORIJEN has a Biologically Appropriate distribution of energy, where more energy is supplied from protein and less energy is supplied from carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are an empty calorie, which means they have no essential function in the body and provide only sugar for energy, which converts quickly to glucose in the blood. If carbohydrates are provided in excess (as they often are), the convert easily into body fat.

Protein supplies the same amount of energy as carbohydrate but has a very different effect on the body. Unlike carbohydrate, protein is essential for life, but is when present in excess protein is NOT stored in the body as fat; it is simply removed from the body through natural elimination functions.

Will high protein diets cause my dog or cat to be fat?
NO. ORIJEN has quite the opposite effect. As ORIJEN is high in protein, dogs and cats typically show an increase in lean muscle mass after a month or so. ORIJEN is low in carbohydrate, so most cats and dogs actually lose body fat when fed ORIJEN.

Does higher protein stress the kidneys?
NO. There is no study in science to show a higher protein diet has any negative effect on the kidneys of dogs or cats. In fact, scientific studies show quite the opposite; dogs with poor kidney functions or dogs that had only one kidney showed improved health on higher protein diets.

Is ORIJEN suitable for a large breed puppy or dog?
YES. The main dietary concerns for large breed puppies and dogs are assuring appropriate calcium and energy levels in the food.

Calcium: The ideal calcium content for large breeds is thought to be between 1.0 and 1.4% on an "as fed" basis. It is believed that calcium in excess of 3% on a dry weight basis can predispose to significant skeletal abnormalities. When formulating for large breeds it is also important to keep in mind that certain vitamins (Vitamin D) can increase absorption of dietary calcium (to possibly excessive levels). ORIJEN is formulated to meet these calcium ideals.

Energy: If too many calories are supplied and consumed on a daily basis, too rapid growth can result and the excess mass that must be supported on an immature skeleton can result in damage to skeletal tissue, with subsequent malformation and/or malarticulation of joints.

There are 3 sources of energy in commercial pet foods; protein, fat and carbohydrate. ORIJEN is moderate in fat, high in protein and, importantly, very low in carbohydrate.

Carbohydrate has no essential function in the body, and as it converts to sugar quickly and easily, carbohydrate is the most common dietary cause of excess weight. Restricting carbohydrate in the diet is ideal for promoting peak physical conditioning in all dogs, including large breed puppies and dogs.

High protein and joint health for large breed dogs
Research into the growth of Great Danes (Nap RC, The Netherlands,) has shown that the protein level of a diet has no significant influence on skeletal development. High protein intake does not result in increased risk for OCD or HD, and there is no effect on the development in the longitudinal growth of the bone." Additionally, while protein does not cause orthopedic problems, other nutrients can.

It is not excess protein that causes joint problems, but over feeding dogs can contribute to arthritis and orthopedic problems. Please note that most orthopedic and joint problems are inherited, but puppies and dogs that are over weight have a greater chance of an increase in pain and discomfort, and the potential of developing orthopedic problems as younger animals and arthritis later on in their life.

And while some nutritionists recommend feeding more fiber than meat and protein for weight gain, this can also have consequences, as it can block absorption.