Orijen

Who Makes It

Orijen is a premium dog and cat food brand made by Champion Petfoods, which also makes Acana. The brand is known for high-protein recipes, and the company says its foods are built around WholePrey ingredients such as meat, organs and bone. ^{1, 2}

Where It Is Made

Champion Petfoods makes its dry and freeze-dried foods in its own kitchens, including the DogStar Kitchen in Auburn, Kentucky, and NorthStar kitchens in Alberta, Canada. The company says its canned foods are produced by an outside collaborator under the oversight of its in-house team. ^{3, 1}

History

Champion Petfoods has made pet food in Alberta, Canada, since 1985, and it introduced Orijen in 2005. In 2016 the company opened its first US plant in Auburn, Kentucky. Mars Petcare completed its purchase of Champion Petfoods on February 28, 2023, and Champion now runs as an independent business unit within Mars Pet Nutrition. ^{1, 3, 4, 5}

Worth Knowing

No Orijen recall has been recorded in the US or Canada. The only recall on record was for cat food sold in Australia in 2008, linked to irradiation required by Australian law. In June 2019 the FDA named Orijen among 16 brands mentioned in reports of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs, but none of those brands were recalled. A class action claiming Orijen and Acana contained heavy metals and BPA ended when the Seventh Circuit upheld summary judgment for Champion in 2021. ^{6, 7, 8}

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orijen
2. prnewswire.com/news-releases/orijen-pet-food-and-disney-celebrate-the-release-of-mufasa-the-lion-king-302330525.html
3. championpetfoods.com/en/frequently-asked-questions.html
4. petfoodprocessing.net/articles/13819-the-food-safety-story-behind-champion-petfoods-kentucky-facility
5. mars.com/news-and-stories/press-releases-statements/mars-petcare-completes-acquisition-of-champion-petfoods
6. petful.com/brands/orijen-recall
7. caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-7th-circuit/2134855.html
8. natlawreview.com/article/summary-judgment-champion-petfoods-affirmed-heavy-metals-class-action-lawsuit

Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.