We are committed to earning the trust of Pet Lovers everywhere and we know that trust is earned by being open and transparent. That’s why we hope to provide answers to any question you might have about our Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN foods. Looking for more information about where we source our Fresh Regional Ingredients, how our diets are formulated, or food safety procedures in our NorthStar kitchen? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions to learn everything you need to know about ORIJEN!
Still have questions or just want to chat about our ORIJEN food? Please contact our Customer Care Team and we’ll be happy to help!
ORIJEN Foods & Treats
ORIJEN represents the fullest expression of our Biologically Appropriate philosophy. ORIJEN’s recipes reflect diets as close as possible to what our dogs’ and cats’ ancestors found and consumed in nature. Our recipes feature 85% premium animal ingredients in unparalleled variety. With high meat inclusions from superior quality meat, poultry, and produce, feeding ORIJEN means feeding your pet the best.
Q. DO YOU OFFER A BREEDER PROGRAM?
If you are a registered breeder in UK or Ireland, we do offer a Breeder Program. You can apply to join our Breeder Program online.
Q. HOW DO I TRANSITION MY PET TO ORIJEN FOODS?
Dogs and cats are often fed the same food for a long period of time, which means a sudden food change makes it difficult for their digestive systems to adapt. That’s why it’s important to introduce new food gradually. Going slowly will give your dog or cat time to adjust to their new food and will also reduce the chances of digestive upset. Start by mixing 25 percent new food with 75 percent old food. Slowly increase the new food proportionately over the next 5-7 days until you are feeding 100 percent new food.
Q. WHICH ORIJEN DIET SHOULD I CHOOSE?
The first time you transition your dog or cat to ORIJEN, we recommend selecting a recipe with a meat-type that matches the food you are currently feeding. This will help allow for the easiest transition and also minimize the risk of gastrointestinal upset. For example, if your dog is currently on a poultry-based diet, you may want to try the ORIJEN Original recipe.
It is also important to consider the life stage of your pet. The good news is that the vast majority of our foods are formulated for All Life Stages, as recommended by FEDIAF. This means that you can start feeding these diets to puppies or kittens, right from when they are first introduced to kibble at around 3-4 weeks old. Our All Life Stages diets also meet all the nutritional needs for senior pets. The only ORIJEN diets that would not be recommended for growing puppies and kittens are the ORIJEN Senior and Fit & Trim diets.
For more specific dietary needs, please contact our Customer Care department.
Q. WHAT IS A ROTATIONAL DIET? CAN I DO THIS WITH ORIJEN?
After initially transitioning to ORIJEN, what many Pet Lovers do is a method of feeding known as Rotational Feeding. Rotating between ORIJEN formulas prevents your dog or cat from getting tired of eating the same thing day in and day out, while offering them a great variety of proteins and fats. A good place to start is rotating by the bag – when you have finished one formula, your next bag will be a different recipe. The first time you introduce a new food for rotation, mix the food 50/50 just to make sure your pet transitions well to the new ORIJEN food. However, if your dog or cat is more diet-sensitive, do a full transition when introducing a new ORIJEN food – after that you can change at will.
Q. DO YOU HAVE ANY FEEDING TIPS?
Feed according to your dog or cat’s size, breed and stage of life. Consider that puppies and kittens require up to twice the energy of full-grown pets, and that overweight and senior pets often need smaller meals – just like people!
We recommend that for most pets, you feed twice daily. Simply divide the amount suggested on the feeding guide into two meals, spaced eight to 12 hours apart. For example, if the feeding guide calls for 1 cup per day, we recommend feeding ½ a cup in the morning and ½ a cup at night. You may need to adjust portions as you learn your pet’s ideal daily “maintenance” amount. These amounts may change over time as your pet ages. Always keep in mind that a lean dog or cat is a healthy pet.
Many dogs and cats have large appetites and will eat everything you feed them. As ORIJEN foods are highly palatable, you need to be careful not to overfeed, as this can cause issues such as loose stool or unwanted weight gain.
Q. HOW MANY TREATS SHOULD I FEED?
We all love to give our pets treats. However, treats should be given in moderation and should represent 10% or less of your pet’s daily food intake. The rest should come from a nutritionally complete feeding program. When using treats frequently, such as during training exercises, try to use small pieces.
Q. WHAT DOES BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE MEAN?
The Biologically Appropriate concept is simple: mirror the freshness and variety of meats that dogs and cats are evolved to eat. For more information on our Biologically Appropriate philosophy and to view the five principles that reflect our commitment, please visit Biologically Appropriate.
Q. WHAT IS MEATMATH?
MeatMath is designed to help you assess if your food is Biologically Appropriate. Biologically Appropriate foods are formulated to match the eating anatomy of the animal they are intended for. Dogs and cats are evolved as carnivores, which means they require high concentrations of meat, high inclusions of fresh meat, and a rich diversity of meat.
Is your food Biologically Appropriate?
Answer the three meat questions: How Much? How Fresh? How Many?
- How much meat is in a recipe? ORIJEN contains 85%-90% animal ingredients
- How much fresh or raw meat is in a recipe? ORIJEN’s animal ingredient content contains 2/3 fresh or raw meat
- How many meats are included in a recipe? Each ORIJEN recipe contains a minimum of 6 different animal ingredients
Q. WHAT DOES WHOLEPREY MEAN?
Nature matched the nutrients in whole animals to perfectly meet your dog or cat’s biological needs. ORIJEN WholePrey incorporates meats, organs, and cartilage in ratios that mirror the natural diet, eliminating the need for long lists of synthetic ingredients.
Q. ARE ORIJEN FOODS SUPPLEMENTED WITH AMINO ACIDS, VITAMINS, OR MINERALS?
ORIJEN foods feature WholePrey ratios of fresh muscle meat, organs, and cartilage in ratios that mirror natural diets and eliminate the need for long lists of synthetic ingredients. Organ meats are a concentrated, natural sources of virtually every nutrient your dog or cat needs to thrive, including all essential vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and vital amino acids. Organ meats such as kidney, liver, and tripe are loaded with minerals such as iron, copper, magnesium, and iodine, and provide important fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, all of which nourish dogs and cats as nature intended. This is why you will find a majority of our amino acids, or minerals, on the guaranteed analysis or typical analysis but not on the ingredient list.
Q. WHERE DO YOU SOURCE YOUR INGREDIENTS?
We believe that making the world’s best pet foods requires using the world’s finest ingredients. With this in mind, we focus on working with suppliers that we know and trust. Trust is earned by demonstrating an ongoing commitment to quality, food safety, sustainability, and communication. We only choose suppliers who are dedicated to these values and providing the best ingredients available.
Our screening process for a new supplier ranges from 90-180 days; Champion’s requirements and attention to detail are more thorough than what is required of most suppliers involved in providing ingredients to the human food industry.
Our commitment to quality does not end when we accept a supplier. We visit and audit our ingredient partners to ensure ongoing compliance with our own strict standards, and the ingredients themselves are subject to a comprehensive risk assessment. Once a supplier is brought on board, we maintain that relationship by having frequent meetings, on-site visits, and conversations. That way we can feel confident that we are giving your pets, and ours, only the best.
Q. ARE THE INGREDIENTS USED IN YOUR FOODS GMO-FREE?
We do not use GMO ingredients.
Q. WHY DO YOU USE PEAS, BEANS, AND LENTILS IN YOUR FOODS?
Our fruit and vegetable inclusions provide natural sources of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, while also providing the binding action needed to form a kibble. Our legume inclusions are a healthy source of fiber and soluble carbohydrates.
Q. WHAT ARE YOUR QUALITY REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR ANIMAL INGREDIENTS?
ORIJEN foods and treats are formulated for dogs and cats, with meat ingredients sourced from federally licensed facilities that must have implemented a HACCP-based food safety system. Champion also specifies that our meat and poultry ingredients must only come from animals that are not condemned, diseased, or that have died otherwise than by slaughter.
Q. FRESH, RAW OR DRIED – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
FRESH: For our fresh meats refrigeration is the only method of preservation.
RAW: We freeze our fresh meats at peak season to lock in their natural goodness – no preservatives.
DRIED: Dried fish and meat ingredients are made of flesh, bones and cartilage, and provide a concentrated source of protein, with their bone content providing a very rich source of minerals. Dried fish and meat ingredients are made by removing water from the meat, bone, and cartilage ingredients through a cooking process.
Q. WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF ORIJEN’S GLUCOSAMINE? IS IT SUPPLEMENTED?
ORIJEN contains 85-90 percent meat, poultry and fish ingredients in WholePrey ratios — meaning we include fresh meat, organs, and cartilage, just as Mother Nature would. Our fresh meats and cartilage in particular are high sources of natural glucosamine. That’s why glucosamine is listed on the guaranteed analysis but not on the ingredient list.
Q. WHO FORMULATES YOUR DIETS AND WHAT ARE THEIR CREDENTIALS?
Champion Petfoods’ Research and Innovation team works with a group of animal nutritionists, and consults with Veterinarians who specialize in nutrition, toxicology, and holistic medicine when developing our ORIJEN diets.
Q. WHO MAKES ORIJEN FOODS AND WHERE ARE THEY MADE?
ORIJEN foods are made exclusively by Champion Petfoods. We cook our own foods in our very own kitchens and we don’t make foods for other companies. This allows us to control every detail, from recipe development and food safety to ingredient sourcing and food production.
When you choose ORIJEN, you can be confident your dog’s and cat’s food has been prepared with care and attention.
Q. DO YOU MAKE CANNED FOOD?
At this time our focus is on making the most Biologically Appropriate ORIJEN dry kibble and Freeze-Dried diets. If your dog is in need of a food with a softer consistency, you may want to consider our ORIJEN Freeze-Dried Foods -an excellent alternative to canned foods. Unlike some canned foods, ORIJEN Freeze-Dried Foods are made with authentically fresh ingredients, contain 90 percent of FRESH or RAW meats, and are prepared without cooking so they fully retain all the natural taste and goodness of our Fresh Regional Ingredients.
Q. DO YOU PERFORM ANY TYPE OF ANIMAL TESTING?
Our position on animal testing is simple – we only conduct tests that we would allow our own companion dogs and cats to participate in. We perform various research trials such as palatability tests (taste), digestibility testing (through stool analysis only), and AAFCO feeding trials.
If it’s not OK for our dogs and cats, then it’s not OK for any other dogs and cats.
Q. WHAT IS AN AAFCO FEEDING TRIAL?
In the pet food industry, AAFCO plays a major role in ensuring that pet food manufacturers provide complete and balanced foods that are safe for pets. To ensure the nutritional adequacy of a diet, all pet foods must meet at least one of the following requirements:
Balanced formulation
Completion of a feeding trial
Belong to a diet family
AAFCO defines family products as products that are similar, but not identical, to one which has been subjected to animal feeding tests. The differences may include minor formulation changes that do not affect the products’ nutritional basis.
Q. WHAT DO THESE FEEDING TRIALS TEST FOR?
During the AAFCO Feeding Trials, physiological parameters are assessed to ensure that all animals participating in the trial remain healthy. All animals have a complete physical exam by a veterinarian at the beginning and end of the trial.
The animals’ daily food intake, body weight, body condition score, blood panel, and urinary parameters are all monitored throughout the trial. A standard AAFCO Feeding trial only requires a blood pull at the beginning and end of the trial. At Champion Petfoods we pull blood every 4 weeks during the feeding trial, this is to more accurately monitor overall health.
A standard AAFCO Feeding Trial only requires testing for four blood parameters to evaluate overall health. At Champion Petfoods we have added additional measurements, which look at kidney, liver and heart health, as well as metabolism, digestibility and immune response. This provides us an accurate overall picture of animal health while on our ORIJEN diets.
Q. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR QUALITY ASSURANCE PROTOCOL
Built to reflect our commitment to Pet Lovers everywhere, NorthStar kitchen has achieved the internationally recognized Safe Feed/Safe Food (SFSF) and HACCP certifications. Our NorthStar and New NorthStar Kitchen are also one of very few North American pet food facilities that is European Union certified.
Our track-and-trace system tracks ingredients throughout our kitchens at each step in the process. All of this information is stored in databases that link to a finished product lot code, which enables trace back to an individual ingredient supplier or any step within our kitchens’ processes.
Our NorthStar kitchen has a comprehensive, industry-leading Food Safety System including a HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) program, and our kitchen follows very strict GMPs (Good Manufacturing Practices) to ensure that our foods are made to the highest standards.
Our Quality Assurance department follows testing protocols from the time ingredients enter our kitchen through production and packaging. Our Quality Assurance technicians sample the raw, in-process and finished products according to our risk-based and scientifically-sound protocols. All finished products are subjected to pathogen evaluation before release and shipment. No product is released for shipment until all tests for food safety and quality are confirmed to be favorable.
Q. WHAT IS THE FIRST ALERT PET FOOD RECALL PROGRAM?
Champion Petfoods is proud to be a member of the First Alert Pet Food Recall program. This is a voluntary effort consisting of a coalition of responsible pet food producers who agree to alert Pet Lovers in the event any product is involved in a recall. We are committed to the safety of our foods and to the well-being of cats and dogs and the people who love them. In the unlikely event that one of our foods is recalled, we will contact you immediately with information regarding the affected products, the reason for the recall, and any steps that you may need to take. We will post information on our website and will notify the appropriate regulatory agencies.
If you are interested in this program, please email Champion Petfoods with the subject FIRST ALERT PROGRAM. By doing this you indicate your willingness to have your contact information stored and accessed by Champion Petfoods to be used in the unlikely event of a product recall.
You may contact our Customer Care team at any time to remove yourself from the program. For more information about how we manage your data, please consult our Privacy Policy.
Q. STORING YOUR ORIJEN FOOD
Once opened, you can safely store ORIJEN food in its packaging by rolling the top of the bag down after each use. If you live in a humid climate, consider using an airtight container and simply put the entire bag of food in the container. Remember to wash your storage bin whenever you change out your bag of food to ensure that food buildup does not occur. Remember, too, to keep the lot number handy.
Refrigeration of ORIJEN is not required. Rather than a garage with large temperature fluctuations, the best storage is in your home in a cool, dry place at room temperature.
Q. BEST BEFORE DATES
The Best Before (BB) date is printed on the back of the bag at the top of the ORIJEN package along with our lot number and production information. Our BB dates should be read Day, Month, Year.
Q. ARE ORIJEN BAGS RECYCLABLE?
At present, our packaging is not recyclable in most areas. Due to the nature of our foods, our bags need to form a complete barrier to protect your pet’s food from the outside environment. We know sustainable packaging is important to Pet Lover’s and as such, we are working towards a solution. We will continue to explore these opportunities to provide you and your pets with the best Biologically Appropriate foods possible.
Q. WHAT IS FEDIAF?
FEDIAF is the trade body that represents the European pet food industry. As we do export our ORIJEN diets to Europe, we follow FEDIAF nutritional recommendations for dogs and cats to ensure that our diets are complete and balanced.
Q. ARE ORIJEN FOODS APPROPRIATE FOR MY OVERWEIGHT PET?
Yes. ORIJEN has a Biologically Appropriate distribution of energy where more energy is supplied from protein and less energy is supplied from carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates are empty calories, 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), they convert easily into body fat.
Protein supplies the same amount of energy as carbohydrates but has a very different effect on the body. Unlike carbohydrate, protein is essential for life and is a Biologically Appropriate source of energy.
Q. IS ORIJEN SUITABLE FOR MY SENIOR DOG?
Yes. While lower-protein diets have traditionally been recommended for senior dogs, this thinking has been roundly dismissed by recent science. As dogs age, a protein-rich diet is especially important for maintaining peak health.
The relationship between carbohydrates and protein is an important factor in the diets of senior dogs. When protein is high, carbohydrates are low – in other words, high-protein diets are by nature low in carbohydrates. This is great for senior dogs as the last thing they need is an excessive amount of inappropriate carbohydrates, which are simply sugars.