1. Champion Petfoods Ethos
Champion Petfoods—the family-owned Canadian company behind Orijen and Acana—built its reputation on two pillars:
- Localized supply chains, minimizing ingredient travel and ensuring ingredient freshness.
- Whole-prey philosophy, replicating ancestral diets by including muscle meat, organs, cartilage, and bone.
2. Regional Ingredient Sourcing
Canadian Prairies Origins
- Roots in Saskatchewan and Alberta grant Champion direct relationships with local farmers.
- Major protein ingredients (chicken, turkey, wild boar, venison) are sourced from within ~100-mile radius of manufacturing plants.
- Fish (e.g., Pacific sardine, salmon) come from sustainably managed West Coast fisheries.
Benefits of Proximity
- Nutritional integrity: Meat arrives fresh (never frozen), preserving enzymatic and micronutrient quality.
- Biosecurity: Close-by farms undergo frequent audits, reducing risk of contamination.
- Environmental impact: Shorter logistics cut carbon emissions and shrink overall footprint.
3. Whole-Prey Philosophy
Composition by Design
Both Orijen and Acana formulas adhere to the Whole-Prey ratio—5 parts muscle meat : 1 part organs : 1 part cartilage and bone:
- Muscle meat supplies essential amino acids like leucine, arginine, and taurine precursors.
- Organs (liver, kidney, heart) deliver bioavailable vitamins A, E, B12, and minerals.
- Cartilage and bone provide natural calcium, phosphorus, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
Diet Examples
- Orijen Six Fish: Anchovy, flounder, mackerel, hake, redfish, and sole, with organ and cartilage supplements, mimicking marine prey in a 40% fish–organ blend.
- Acana Grasslands: Regional beef, wild boar, lamb, and fish foods paired with whole-prey inclusions for balanced nutrition and palatability.
4. Nutritional Impact and Digestibility
High Protein, Low Carbohydrate
- Orijen contains 38%–44% protein on an as-fed basis; Acana 27%–32%.
- Grain-in-limited or grain-free options use whole peas, lentils, and chickpeas.
Digestibility Metrics
- Independent rooster‐precision assays demonstrate standardized indispensable amino acid digestibility ≥ 90% for Orijen’s chicken and fish blends.
- True metabolizable energy (TMEn) closely matches calculated metabolizable energy, signifying efficient nutrient absorption.
5. Sustainability and Animal Welfare
- All animal suppliers adhere to Animal Care Certified standards, ensuring humane husbandry and transport.
- Champion’s facilities generate minimal waste, employing by‐product valorization: poultry feet and offal processed into natural joint-care supplements.
6. Conclusion
By anchoring formulas in regional sourcing and a whole-prey approach, Orijen and Acana deliver nutritionally dense diets that:
- Mirror ancestral carnivorous nutrition.
- Maximize digestibility and palatability.
- Reduce environmental impact and ensure supply-chain transparency.
Champion Petfoods thus sets a benchmark in functional pet nutrition—where ingredient provenance and evolutionary dietary principles converge to support optimal canine and feline health.