[Marionne H]

I’ve been debating on switching my dog to Acana. I like that it is made by Champion (same manufacturer as Orijen) and that it is manufactured in Canada. However, Champion is moving the manufacturing for Acana to Kentucky. I am concerned that the quality could begin to slide. Any thoughts on this?

[Deb B]

Are you sure it will no longer be manufactured in Canada? Was this noted on their website?

[Marionne H]

Hi Deb B,

Yes, the change is majorly featured on the Acana website. The fact that they are being open about it and are promoting the change is a good sign, but it still makes me nervous. We’ve seen too many changes in the dog food industry that are not for the better. You can find the info here:
http://acana.com/dogstar-kitchens/?lang=usa

Acana intended for the US markets will be manufactured in the new Kentucky kitchens. I believe that Orijen intended for the US market will also be manufactured in Kentucky over time. There is a mention of Orijen being produced in Kentucky on this site, and I am still researching that.

[Deb B]

Hi there. I decided to pick up the phone and call them. They were very reassuring about the fact that everything will be identical in terms of ingredients, guidelines etc., that they have provided in the products from the beginning. From what I have seen, heard, where we purchase our food here in Canada, I have heard NOTHING but great things about this company. I would call them if I were you, and ask specific questions…they are happy to answer all your concerns.
I would not be worried if I were in your shoes, but understand why it is certainly something that should be looked into. I feel pretty confident about this company…and I am very PICKY!

[Marionne H]

Thanks Deb B, that’s a good idea. We’ll have to watch carefully, but maybe things will be OK, at least for now. I’m also rather picky, and just want to make sure nothing is going to change with the quality of the ingredients or product as they move to Kentucky. Actually, I tend to believe that the new products that have been released are in part driven by the ingredient sources they are going to be able to obtain locally at the new Kentucky facility. Thanks again.

[Deb B]

Well, they are committed to supporting local farmers, which is another thing I love about them. I was told the facility opened in January, and that the new facility will over time eventually be the source for all the product distribution in the U.S. All the best!

[zcRiley]

Orijen started building its new facilities 2 years, stating it couldn’t meet the demands for the US and shipping costs were rising, etc. After 3 years of rotating high quality dog foods, I’ve learned that the smallest change can wreak havoc on a great dog food. The look and smell or a bad reaction from my pups (gas, diarrhea). Kentucky is not Canada no matter how you slice n dice it. See if your pet does well on Acana now, if yes, you’ll eventually get a bag made here in the states. My babies were thriving on Orijen Adult until they made a tweak in the ingredients resulting in tons of vet visits. We are now extremely happy on Zignature Zssentials and Halo Vigor and ZiwiPeak.

[Marionne H]

Thanks zcRiley – good point about how the smallest change can throw everything out of balance. Looks like the Acana will certainly be changing as they change local sourcing from Canada to Kentucky. So it’s going to change no matter what. I just hope it’s as good and they maintain the same standards of quality. I may have to give Zignature another look; I tried it with my previous dog and it was not the solution for him but seemed like an excellent food. Thanks again.

[texasniteowl]

Hi folks. I just joined Editors Choice because of this change today. I have been feeding my dog Acana Singles (alternating Lamb and Duck) for over a year, maybe 2 yrs. When I stopped by my pet store today, they let me know that it is coming out of Kentucky now. I was a little apprehensive but bought the bag anyway (Lamb).

Does anyone have more information on this change and the product coming out of Kentucky? In the regular forums, it was mentioned that someone found plastic pieces in their Acana Heritage food?! Also, the ingredient listing DID change.

chewy.com lists the old ingredients and the new formula:

Ingredients
Lamb meal, deboned lamb, green lentils, red lentils, lamb liver, apples, lamb fat, green peas, yellow peas, canola oil, algae, garbanzo beans, pumpkin, carrots, lamb tripe, lamb kidney, freeze-dried lamb liver, kelp, chicory root, ginger root, peppermint leaf, lemon balm, mixed tocopherols (preservative), dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, zinc proteinate

New formula: Deboned lamb*, lamb meal, whole green peas, red lentils, lamb liver*, lamb fat, pinto beans, chickpeas, herring oil, green lentils, whole yellow peas, sun-cured alfalfa, Red Delicious apples*, natural lamb flavor, lamb tripe*, lamb kidney*, lamb cartilage*, dried kelp, whole pumpkin*, whole butternut squash*, kale,* spinach*, mustard greens*, collard greens*, turnip greens*, whole carrots*, Bartlett pears*, freeze-dried lamb liver, freeze-dried lamb tripe, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, zinc proteinate, mixed tocopherols (preservative), chicory root, turmeric, sarsaparilla root, althea root, rosehips, juniper berries, dried lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried bifidobacterium animalis fermentation product, dried lactobacillus casei fermentation product. * delivered fresh or raw

We are scraping the bottom of the bag of his last bag, so I am going to go ahead and try the new, but I am nervous and unsure.

[Marionne H]

Hi texasniteowl,

I am no expert, but here’s what I know so far. The manufacturing of Acana for US markets is transitioning/has transitioned to Kentucky. The primary reason stated by the company for this move is increasing shipping costs and the expansion of the popularity of the foods in the US market. Champion is being very open about the move to Kentucky, and is proud of their new facility which has been constructed. Lots of data on the new kitchens is available on the acana.com website. The manufacturing of Orijen for US markets will also be moving to Kentucky.

They have changed their formulas. Given the new location and their focus on local sourcing of ingredients, some of the changes will be driven by the fact that they will be sourcing from Kentucky farms and surrounding areas. For some formulas (like the regional formulas), they are increasing the amount of meat in comparison with the old formulas, with more fresh and raw inclusions. This will explain changes in the ingredient list like deboned lamb now being the first ingredient instead of lamb meal in the formula you mentioned. In order to keep protein levels high with more fresh meat ingredients, we may see a higher level and different mix of legumes, so this may explain some of the other changes in the ingredient list. Not sure about the other ingredient changes like more produce, seeds, botanicals, etc…but it seems to be following the current trend to include a broader spectrum of ingredients.
It does seem that Champion is committed to making a good line of foods in Kentucky, using local sourcing and addressing the US market. After much pondering myself, I decided that it sounds like Acana is continuing to head in the right direction, and that time will tell as with any change (we’ll just have to watch vigilantly). So, I bought a bag, deciding that Acana will be in my dog’s rotation.
She didn’t like it. The kibbles were too big and she didn’t seem to care for the taste. So much for all that research!

[texasniteowl]

Well, a quick update. We are about 2 days into the new bag and so far so good. I switched cold turkey just like we always do between bags and no side effects so far. We will keep an eye on it for another few days.

I will probably go ahead and look for another brand to move into the rotation. Not sure what yet. But wouldn’t be a horrible thing to have a 3rd bag mixed in with the Acana Duck and Lamb formulas.

[Marionne H]

Thanks much, that’s great news. Everything I’m reading so far sounds good about the steps Champion is taking to preserve the quality of their foods with their move of manufacturing to Kentucky. It looks like they are making some similar changes to their Canadian-produced line as well. Good luck and I hope all continues to go well for you! I wish my dog liked the Acana, but no dice. I even bought a small bag of Grasslands (I tried the Wild Prairie with her before) just in case a different flavor would tempt her. No interest at all…and she really does prefer a small kibble.

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