# Lawsuit Filed Against Acana and Orijen



## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Consumers in Minnesota, California and Florida are suing Champion Pet Food for “False Advertising”, violations of “feed law”, and numerous other charges. The lawsuit includes results of heavy metal testing and includes results that this dry dog food contains BPA – a chemical typically not associated with dry/kibble pet foods. 

This is a Class Action lawsuit – currently representing consumers in Minnesota, California and Florida. The consumers are suing Champion Pet Food _“for their negligent, reckless, and/or intentional practice of misrepresenting and failing to fully disclose the presence of heavy metals and toxins in their pet food sold throughout the United States. Plaintiffs seek both injunctive and monetary relief on behalf of the proposed Classes (defined below), including requiring full disclosure of all such substances in its marketing, advertising, and labeling and restoring monies to the members of the proposed Classes.”_


The lawsuit claims Champion pet foods *(Acana and Orijen) “contain levels of arsenic, mercury, lead, cadmium” “known to pose health risks to humans and animals, including dogs” and interestingly for a kibble pet food…the lawsuit claims the dry pet food contained “BISPHENOL A (“BPA”)”. *

https://truthaboutpetfood.com/lawsuit-filed-against-champion-pet-food-acana-and-orijen/




:surprise: :surprise: :surprise:


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Good heavens, I just bought a bag Acana for Deja. I am not in one of the states, mentioned in the lawsuit. This is going to hurt them.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

I give up! I will simply buy 6 month supplies of First Mate. I have spent weeks switching Shadow over to Acana, after who knows how long researching and comparing. 
One of my big concerns is that with an iffy immune system and allergies and a bad heart, I was not willing to risk recall issues. 
These dog food companies are really getting on my last nerve.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

@Sabis mom
Champion opened a manufacturing facility in Kentucky (I think) to support the demand for the US market. I believe there has already been some issues with product from that facility. Although I don't know for sure, the Canadian market hasn't had issues.
Maybe email them and ask what the heck this is about.
Like with all pet food processing plants, there are more than one brand of food going through the plant.
My friends daughter worked at a pet food/canning place in Ontario that did dog and cat food from the bottom of the barrel foods you have never seen on a shelf here anywhere (shipped who knows where) containing mystery meat to "Wellness"
As a far as I knew Champion is independent from other processing plants here, but in the US...???


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## RoseW (Feb 18, 2016)

Looks like Champion published a response on their website and on the Facebook pages for the diets.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

opcorn: opcorn: opcorn:

*Face Book
*
Dear Fellow Pet Lovers,
The allegations contained within a Class Action Complaint that was brought against us on March 1st are meritless and based on misinterpretation of the data.
Let us assure you that our products are safe and that we systematically test our products at two third-party laboratories using the Official Methods of Analysis by Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC). While we plan to comprehensively refute the wide range of false allegations in a court of law at the appropriate date, in the interim we want you to be confident in the safety and quality of our products.
For more information, we urge you to read: ORIJEN and ACANA Foods in Comparison to Pet Food Safety Standards, here: http://bit.ly/2HMvJiy
As you know, our commitment to using fresh and raw meat and fish ingredients means that pets and Pet Lovers can count on Champion to provide safe, Biologically Appropriate™ nutrition. Much like the natural human food we consume, Champion Petfoods contains small traces of a range of naturally occurring elements. These so-called ‘heavy metals’ are found throughout the Earth’s environment, and the miniscule amounts of these substances found in Champion Petfoods are a safe and common component of both human and animal diets. Our Biologically Appropriate™ foods feature much higher levels of quality fresh and raw meat ingredients than conventional pet foods, including fish and seafood ingredients.
Please know that we are confident that we will prevail as the facts and evidence are presented to the court, and that these baseless claims will not deter us from our mission of delivering award-winning Biologically Appropriate™ foods. The legal complaint has no bearing whatsoever on the activities or operation of our business, and you will continue to enjoy the same high degree of professionalism and quality you have come to expect from Champion.
Thank you for your continued commitment to our company and our quality food products.
Champion Petfoods


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## btfloyd (Oct 11, 2017)

BPA is a chemical used in the plastics manufacturing process that basically keeps the plastic "flexible". It lost a lot of favor in the container industry after it was found to have leached out of the plastic's matrix and was being consumed. Furthermore, BPA bio-accumulates. There have been studies showing BPA in the systems of newborns because the bioaccumulation has passed from mother to child. Think about that: babies are being born with BPA already in their bodies! And no one really knows what the long term effects of BPA consumption are, but I'd bet they're not rosy and good. 

I worked in the glass container industry for a number of years, so I'm intimately familiar with the ins and outs of our competition in the marketplace. That said, most plastic containers - water bottles, drink bottles, food jars, etc - have went away from BPA, but I'm sure there are some that still use it for some things. It's weird that it would be in dog food though. Maybe it's leaching from packaging or an ingredient's packaging?


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## Muskeg (Jun 15, 2012)

Just remember anyone can file a lawsuit, it doesn't mean they have valid claims. That's for the courts to decide... unfortunately, it takes a lot of $$$ to fight a lawsuit, even if invalid.


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2018)

I'm glad to see they've responded to the allegations of having unsafe food, and if the tests they do are industry-standard, then I hope they'll consider counter-suing or, at least, not agree to settle. Frivolous lawsuits just raise costs for everyone. Standards have been established for acceptable limits of certain elements in foods, and this is not only because it's often impossible to remove all traces of said elements, but also because most generally-accepted test methods cannot detect amounts of As, Cr, Hg, etc below a certain level.

I find the hysteria especially annoying considering how much sugar people eat. Talk about poison! Sugar is terrible and leads to all kinds of disease, yet it's contained in nearly everything.

The dog food companies won't knowingly endanger pets to save money, because doing so would be bad PR and lead to losses of revenue and consumer trust. Pet products are a huge market, and while it's always a good idea for pet owners to do their own research, sometimes they need a little background in science to get the most (and most correct information) out of what's made available.


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2018)

*Perspective, part II*

Don't forget, consumers in California have cancer warning labels on EVERYTHING.

"Acrylamide is the chemical over which the Council for Education and Research on Toxics (CERT), a non-profit organization, is suing. Specifically, CERT is suing coffee sellers like Starbucks and 7-Eleven. The lawsuit claims that because a chemical called acrylamide can be produced when coffee beans are roasted, stores that sell coffee should have to post a Proposition 65 warning. A ruling is expected soon, the Wall Street Journal reported." Here's Why Everything Gives You Cancer In California

How much does it cost annually for a company to print compliant labels on its products? _All of_ its products? And how much does it cost annually for that company to hire personnel to interpret new regulations and put them into effect, and to respond to state audits ensuring continued compliance? And more importantly, when the consumers get passed these cost increases, is that cost worth it considering the actual (not the perceived) risk of using the product?

I'm all for safety. But I'm not for figuratively wrapping folks in legislative bubble wrap (it's got BPA!) and giving them a private air supply (It's got di-hydrogen monoxide!). 

IMO, we'd all be better off as a society if we taught two things in schools (in addition to the basics): ethics, and risk assessment.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

bigger and more important impact would be to take on the entire food industry.

Get the ANTIBIOTICS out of meat that YOU and your dog consume.

Enjoy chicken again.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

[email protected] said:


> The dog food companies won't knowingly endanger pets to save money, because doing so would be bad PR and lead to losses of revenue and consumer trust. Pet products are a huge market, and while it's always a good idea for pet owners to do their own research, sometimes they need a little background in science to get the most (and most correct information) out of what's made available.


Except that Iams refused a recall until they were ordered to do so, long after they knew that batches were contaminated and killing animals.
BB similarly has been in the hot seat for years now, and has done nothing.

Consumers are prone to falling for marketing campaigns, it's a problem.

I don't eat much in the way of packaged or processed food because I don't trust it. And since I don't have the knowledge or the money to feed raw, I rely on some integrity with these dog food companies and it seems sadly lacking.


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## kr16 (Apr 30, 2011)

carmspack said:


> bigger and more important impact would be to take on the entire food industry.
> 
> Get the ANTIBIOTICS out of meat that YOU and your dog consume.
> 
> Enjoy chicken again.


Hormones are added as well. And all the High Fructose corn syrup and its anonymous names they use to disguise it that's in mostly everything people eat in the USA. Than we have Glycol that the FDA allows. Add in all the dyes in most foods and we have some pretty unhealthy foods here. I have to use a magnifying glass to study everything I buy at a supermarket.

https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/yes-theres-propylene-glycol-in-your-fireball-20141029/


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

kr16 said:


> Hormones are added as well. And all the High Fructose corn syrup and its anonymous names they use to disguise it that's in mostly everything people eat in the USA. Than we have Glycol that the FDA allows. Add in all the dyes in most foods and we have some pretty unhealthy foods here. I have to use a magnifying glass to study everything I buy at a supermarket.
> 
> https://www.mensjournal.com/food-drink/yes-theres-propylene-glycol-in-your-fireball-20141029/


oh yes -- propylene glycol --- anti freeze in food .
hormones - glyphosphate residue from that monster roundup -- in case you do
not know https://www.canceractive.com/cancer-active-page-link.aspx?n=3426 

this kibble company prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients -- so what does that say

with other companies they are all at the mercy of vitamin pre-mix packs which they all source
from China


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

I've opened a thread to discuss pet food/treat regulations in Canada.

If anyone has information about this, please share on that thread. 
Thanks! 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...dian-produced-pet-foods-treats-regulated.html


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

I’m just amazed that the company filing this lawsuit against Champion states Pedigree as a 5 star pet food. 

As mentioned previously, you can file a lawsuit for anything. Doesn’t make it truthful or accurate. But it certainly does hurt image when people don’t do the research and learn what is actually happening.


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

Yeah I know stuff can easily happen and it does effect image. a tough business but hopefully this gets worked out. It is why though I am hesitant on using other foods only to mix it up a bit. I know there foods with more proteins and less peas, potatoes but I do trust Fromm and just add some fresh food in or dehydrated patties. I also there food choices up with honest kitchen at times. It is scary out there and all the things in food not to mention water and air is all nutty.


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2018)

Iams likely did a cost-benefit analysis and decided they'd have to be forced into an expensive recall rather than do it voluntarily. What was the contaminant and how was it killing animals? And when did this incident you describe happen? 

Yes, consumers do rely on the integrity of companies producing pet foods and the robustness of their quality systems. We (consumers) always have to do our own risk analyses, weighing trust vs convenience, looking for evidence of quality product in the health of our pets. Luckily, most times all goes well. In the rare instances where it doesn't, results can be devastating.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

[email protected] said:


> Iams likely did a cost-benefit analysis and decided they'd have to be forced into an expensive recall rather than do it voluntarily. What was the contaminant and how was it killing animals? And when did this incident you describe happen?
> 
> Yes, consumers do rely on the integrity of companies producing pet foods and the robustness of their quality systems. We (consumers) always have to do our own risk analyses, weighing trust vs convenience, looking for evidence of quality product in the health of our pets. Luckily, most times all goes well. In the rare instances where it doesn't, results can be devastating.


I believe 2007, melamine contamination if I remember, subsequent lawsuit revealed that for months they were aware of the issue and had paid off some people to evade a lawsuit but never issued a recall or fixed the problem as it was not in their own words a widespread enough problem to make it cost effective. Cheaper to pay the grieving owners.


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## [email protected] (Jan 16, 2018)

I think I remember this and a few other issues with Melamine contamination, mainly from Chinese products. Paying off people is never a good sign!


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Today I go a review request from Acana/Orijin per email after my recent purchase on line to see "how I liked the food", possibly because this issue came up in the news. I couldn't tell since I don't eat it and I haven't fed it yet. And if I did (feeding to the dog!), it would have taken many more bags to see some results; bad or good. I give her a small amount of kibble in the morning and rotate brands.


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## mburitica181 (Jul 22, 2015)

Has anyone considered changing food brands since this lawsuit?


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

I got a bag delivered during this issue and decided to use it.


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

I was aware of the lawsuit and purchased a bag Sunday despite the claims. My dogs do really well on it and I will continue to use while keeping an eye on any developments.


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## Gunny (Jun 15, 2016)

We were just in the process of going to Acana from Fromm.......guess it's back to Fromm......:grin2:


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## 115pounds (Aug 27, 2015)

In our *sue happy* society just about everyone who has a great product gets sued by jealous morons. If our legal system would allow those bringing these kinds of bogus lawsuits to lose the same amount that they are suing for, these kinds of bogus lawsuits would stop.


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## 115pounds (Aug 27, 2015)

HA HA HA:grin2::grin2::grin2: I should have read this first, because pedicrap is beyond bad. It's unbelievable that anyone would take this phony lawsuit as something believable.

I’m just amazed that the company filing this lawsuit against Champion states Pedigree as a 5 star pet food.


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## 115pounds (Aug 27, 2015)

carmspack said:


> bigger and more important impact would be to take on the entire food industry.
> 
> Get the ANTIBIOTICS out of meat that YOU and your dog consume.
> 
> Enjoy chicken again.


Do you have any idea how chickens are grown/raised?? You would be shocked. They cram hundreds/thousands into enclosed steel buildings, feed them decent food and call that organic...... They walk around in their own poo, eating off the same ground and so on. Go to a BIG chicken farm sometime it well change your love for chicken, it did mine. Mike Rowe actually did a special on it.. ORGANIC,, ha ha ha. What a croc....


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## Misfitfly (Jun 29, 2017)

I think this all got started by people in the US who got mad when Champion opened the Kentucky production facility and they could no longer get product from Canada. Personally, I believe Champion strives to make the best pet food available to consumers in the US and Canada. FYI, I am in Florida. I have and will continue to trust and support them.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

this company uses locally sourced ingredients 

is it at all possible that the water quality has made an impact

Water has always been a problem -- the people deserve BETTER -- you wouldn't
believe this could be USA . Does China have it as bad ?

Drinking water problems still plague eastern Kentucky - Appalachian Voices

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/30/health/kentucky-water-crisis/index.html


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

This is SO disappointing!

Looks like Champion (Maker of Orijen & Acana) purchased tainted beef tallow from the same supplier as Gravy Train!:surprise:

_"Champion only admitted to the pentobarbital contaminated pet food AFTER an updated lawsuit was filed in November 2018 citing the pentobarbital contamination."_


Article here:
Did Champion Pet Food use the same ingredient supplier as Gravy Train? ? Truth about Pet Food


Investigator notes: http://truthaboutpetfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/FDAFOIA2108-9409encl2.pdf


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## JaxsMom (Dec 31, 2017)

More and more glad that I chose to go raw.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Locally sourced, huh? From a local 4D rendering plant?!

I haven't bought a Nutro product since the 90s, when Nutro was busted with this kind of rendered, tainted meat. Add Champion to the club -- a club that also included Ol' Roy back in the 90s, and apparently now Gravy Train? Swell. 

If anyone wants a kibble without the rendered meal that's always the source of this stuff, check out Rawz kibble. RAWZ | Meal Free Dry

The price point is about on par with Orijen. They use a 40% protein kibble (pretty high!), made of dehydrated chicken instead of rendered meal. It's also cooked at a lower temperature. It does contain peas, but not a bunch of different legumes way up the ingredient list. The first 7 ingredients are: 

DEHYDRATED CHICKEN
DEHYDRATED DEBONED CHICKEN
CHICKEN
TURKEY
CHICKEN LIVER
TURKEY LIVER
TURKEY HEARTS

I haven't fed it as mine are doing fine on Fromm, but it's where I'd go if I wanted to change kibbles -- the rendered meal recalls are disturbing. Part of its attraction to me is the family behind it has an excellent reputation -- and they have for a long, long time in the pet food business.


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## barnyard (Jun 21, 2012)

The lawsuit is similar to the one that hit Taste of the Wild as well. I don't think there's much basis to it, except that if a formula uses fish it might very well have metal contaminants. I think it's more likely that the company, and a whole lot of others are going to get hit with lawsuits from the DCM cases, but that's probably down the road a bit. 
I used to use Acana years ago, until their price went up so high after a fire at their plant. I revisited feeding it again when I had an allergy dog, but I thought it was weird that their new formulas had so many different types of lentils for such an expensive food. But never thought they would source from a rendering plant like that (and it's not even local).


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Barnyard, what's different is the apparent admission of buying "beef tallow" containing a euthanasia drug -- the same one used to put dogs and cats to sleep, which isn't even used in cattle, but sometimes is in horses. So it's not any source of "beef" producing that problem -- it's generally some other kind of animal that's not even supposed to be in the bag of kibble -- _probably _horse meat...but it could be anything put to sleep with that drug (companion animals, zoo animals). It's a sign of extremely low-grade rendered protein or fat -- the kind where some nasty rendering plant will throw any animal carcass they get into the pot and cook it down. Meat or fat containing this drug is not supposed to _ever _be in dog food -- there was a run of foods with it in the 90s, the FDA tightened things up, and that was supposed to be the end of it, but here we go again. 

Champion is blaming beef tallow. I've yet to hear _why _beef tallow would contain that drug when everything I've read for years says that drug isn't used in cattle. Unless the beef tallow isn't really beef tallow but the fat of some other critter falsely sold as beef tallow? But they're admitting to using a supplier in Penn., which was apparently the source of the Big Heart Brands problem in 2017 too -- so are we supposed to understand they used a supplier KNOWN problems?!

In fairness to Champion, I think there's a dispute as to whether the much of euthanasia-drug-contaminated kibble made it out into the market before they caught it, but do we forgive them even if they prove they somehow intervened before much of it did? If this is the kind of supplier they're sourcing from, it says EVERYTHING about their integrity as to their supply chain. What else are they sourcing from the cheapest, lowest-grade suppliers??? 

Further reading, with Champion's side of the story: 

https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2018...-industry-tainted-beef-tallow-prompts-recall/


This article also has some background on the other pentobarb recalls, and why it keeps happening:
https://gizmodo.com/how-does-a-euthanasia-drug-keep-ending-up-in-dog-food-1823186412


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## mmags (Nov 30, 2017)

Honestly I would stay away from Orijen/Acana.


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## Dionne2u (Nov 5, 2018)

Thanks for the information! I was looking at switching to that, glad i didn't! I'm looking at changing to Fromm now. Have a 7 year old and 11 week old both gsd. Do they make one that will work for both? If not, then which color bag do you feed puppy? Grown? Thanks!!


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

So disappointing. I wished I’d never gotten hooked. My dogs love it... their stool quality and body conditions have been superb. I’ve been trying to switch the last couple months and keep going back.

I really hate diet changes and food shopping/research.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

*Pentobarbital, Champion Pet Food, and No Uniform Enforcement of Law*

January 29, 2019 
in Pet Food News 

Pentobarbital in an ingredient shipped to Champion Pet Food has been confirmed, 

yet *no recall was required*. No uniform enforcement of pet food regulations leaves pet owners confused at what the FDA is actually doing to protect pets from dangerous pet foods. https://truthaboutpetfood.com/pentobarbital-champion-pet-food-and-no-uniform-enforcement-of-law/


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

Fodder said:


> So disappointing. I wished I’d never gotten hooked. My dogs love it... their stool quality and body conditions have been superb. I’ve been trying to switch the last couple months and keep going back.
> 
> I really hate diet changes and food shopping/research.


Same. I'm so disappointed in Champion right now. I know that Canadian and US distribution and processing is different, but it just feels like everything is falling apart with Champion. They've agreed to sell in Petco despite pulling from Chewy, which is in line with the rumors of them being bought out by Purina. Plus, with the research involving DCM and most dogs being affected being on the Singles line of Acana, I've made the switch. But it's been awful. I wish I had the funds to feed raw at this point.


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Definitely disappointed in Champion. My dogs did great on Orijen as well... Jasmine was on it for the better part of 7 years and always did great on all the formulas. For me, though, the switch was pretty easy and painless... I'm not spending as much on dog food anymore, and both dogs do equally well on their new food. But unfortunately it gets harder and harder to find a trustworthy company in the pet food industry these days.

If I had the money, resources and time to research more I would consider raw... but kibble is so convenient and so much more affordable.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Femfa said:


> Same. I'm so disappointed in Champion right now. I know that Canadian and US distribution and processing is different,



"So long as a pet food is manufactured and sold in Canada, *there is no inspection or verification necessary*. If a food is made in Canada but exported outside of the country, manufacturers of the food must give documentation to regulatory authorities. This documentation must attest that the food is complete and balanced, tell which ingredients are included in the food, and confirm that everything is legal. *This paperwork is based, for the most part, on honesty* and so long as all the necessary documents are provided, the food is approved for export. Additionally, *if manufacturers falsify information on their paperwork, there is likely no penalty (that we've seen).*
This is not to say that pet food manufacturing regulations don’t exist in Canada, rather that they are *seldom enforced.* The regulations that do exist simply state that specified substances that are classified as “at risk” may not be used in pet foods." https://topdogtips.com/pet-food-manufacturing-regulations/


"If there’s a (human) food recall in Canada, the government is usually quick to notify consumers about the health risks. *However, when it comes to pet food, a national recall does not exist.*

*That’s because the pet food industry is also not regulated in Canada,* meaning if there is a recall, it is up to the pet manufacturer to share the information." https://globalnews.ca/news/4731231/pet-food-industry-canada-not-regulated/


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

All of Champion's foods sold in the United States are (as far as I am aware) manufactured in the United States, and have been for at least a couple years now. I don't think the foods tested and involved in these lawsuits are made at Champion's Canadian facility.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Ken Clean-Air System said:


> All of Champion's foods sold in the United States are (as far as I am aware) manufactured in the United States, and have been for at least a couple years now. I don't think the foods tested and involved in these lawsuits are made at Champion's Canadian facility.



Thanks Ken......good to know but makes this situation even SADDER! :crying:


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

One would assume that if they are buying cheaper (and suspect) ingredients for their facility in Kentucky, they are probably doing the same in Canada. It is surprising, though that there hasn't been recalls, at of their American product.


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

Yes, AFAIK none of the recalled foods or food issues (foreign objects in bags, dogs reacting to new formula changes, etc) have happened in Canada. Everything I’ve heard of has been in relation to the US manufacturing. 

The switch wasn’t bad, it was finding a food that didn’t have suspect ingredients in regards to diet-induced DCM, came from a company I felt I could trust (no recalls), and had high quality, locally and ethically sourced protein ingredients.


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## barnyard (Jun 21, 2012)

I'm really surprised as I always thought it was the best food. But it got too expensive for me with 3-4 shepherds. I think the scariest part is that no recall, voluntary or otherwise, was issued. I guess there's too much at stake for some companies to voluntarily recall, but those are the ones to avoid if we even know or find out.
The whole trust thing is a real issue and along with the DCM problems, we as the pet owners have to be so careful.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

UPDATE:



"This amended Champion lawsuit holds the company accountable for its many marketing claims including “Non-regional and non-fresh ingredients”.


"A significant issue added to the amended complaint, filed in Illinois on 2/6/2019, states Champion Pet Food misrepresented its products by (bold added)" “_failing to fully disclose the presence and/or risk of inclusion in their pet food of …_*non-regional and non-fresh ingredients*_, and/or unnatural or other ingredients that do not conform to the labels, packaging, advertising, and statements throughout the United States_.”


"In a search on the Champion Pet Food website, these “regional” and “fresh” claims were found within minutes.."


Read here: https://truthaboutpetfood.com/champion-lawsuit-amended-non-regional-and-non-fresh-ingredients/


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Not sure how this will effect the above mentioned lawsuit, which I believe is a different lawsuit originating in Illinois, but this happened yesterday: https://www.petfoodindustry.com/art...against-champion-petfoods-dismissed?v=preview

"On Feb. 7, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against Champion Petfoods. The U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Wisconsin judge dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning that the case cannot be brought back to court."

This was a separate case alleging contamination by lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury filed in Wisconsin. We'll see how the other plays out.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Ugh. I don't know what to do now. My girl seems to have a very sensitive stomach and has had vomiting/diarrhea in the past with Fromm, Earthborn and multiple varieties of Victor. 

Acana was the best thing I'd found and I am so discouraged at the thought of trying new foods with her again.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Meanwhile, Champion products are going to be available in Petco:
https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/7823-petco-and-champion-petfoods-form-collaboration


When Blue Buffalo started appearing in mass market stores, an industry insider told me that this was probably preparation for an acquisition -- vastly expanding volume and reach would increase the price for the company. And then General Mills acquired them. I have a hunch we are seeing the same happening -- the Purina rumor may turn out to be a lot more than a rumor.


Anitsisqua, is there any chance you can get her off kibble? The Honest Kitchen's products have proven to be OUTSTANDING at settling tummies of several dogs I know who have trouble with kibble digestion. They have options with and without meat (in case you need to add a novel protein of your choice).


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Magwart said:


> Anitsisqua, is there any chance you can get her off kibble? The Honest Kitchen's products have proven to be OUTSTANDING at settling tummies of several dogs I know who have trouble with kibble digestion. They have options with and without meat (in case you need to add a novel protein of your choice).


I could look into it. I did raw feeding in the past with my shepherd, but needed to stop due to some life changes, so I'm definitely not opposed to not feeding kibble. One of my concerns has been that I think she could have a sensitivity to chicken, and with availability in my area, raw feeding without any chicken could get really expensive really fast.

I will check Honest Kitchen out.

Thank you.


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Magwart said:


> Meanwhile, Champion products are going to be available in Petco:
> https://www.petfoodindustry.com/articles/7823-petco-and-champion-petfoods-form-collaboration


The story I posted is from yesterday, and yes is in Champion's favor. However I am in no way advocating for or against them. I am however for giving people (and companies) a chance to be proven guilty before admonishing and condemning them. One can, in our ultra-litigious society allege anything about anyone - proving it is another thing entirely. Could it be that these lawsuits were filed frivolously by entities seeking to weaken them to make a buyout easier? People who, for some reason have a grudge against the company and want to see them fail? I don't know, but it is certainly a possibility. It makes more sense, at least to me, for a company like Purina to want to see Champion's 'stock' flounder so they could buy them out of cheaper, rather than see their value increase so they have to pay more to acquire them... I'm pretty sure Blue Buffalo sold out long before they started selling in big box stores and going hog wild with mass market advertising.

I don't feed Champion foods anymore, nor do I recommend them. However, it is a fact that millions upon millions of dogs live long, healthy lives on kibble foods. The choice is yours, but if you want to stick with kibble, try looking into foods like Victor, or a food made by Ohio Pet Foods like Dr. Tim's, or Annamaet.


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## Momto2GSDs (Mar 22, 2012)

Good points KC-AS!


It will be VERY interesting to see how this whole thing plays out!
opcorn:


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## Ken Clean-Air System (Feb 27, 2012)

Thanks, I'd also like to add, in relation to the announcement about Champion offering their products at Petco locations - This was just in the news fairly recently and may have something to do with Champion's decision to sell in Petco stores: https://www.forbes.com/sites/pamdan...ommits-to-360-holistic-pet-care/#3cf667bed9f0

Petco is trying to change its image as a 'big box' retailer. They are also (and I didn't realize this), a privately owned company - not owned by a giant corporate entity. Time will tell what this means and how Petco's image in the industry changes (or doesn't) in the future. May even be that some of the other companies that have steered clear of the 'big box' pet stores change their mind about selling through Petco as well.

I'll still hold my ultimate opinion about Champion until all the facts are in, and won't change my opinion of any other small pet food company that decides they want to give Petco try as an outlet for their foods until Petco's intentions are proven to be other than to do better for animals and their owners


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