Named qualified nutritionist
Champion states that Ph.D.-level nutrition experts and veterinarians craft its foods, but the page does not publicly name an individual qualified nutritionist.
unknown
Brand profile · PetScored desk
Orijen
Orijen lands in the middle of the rubric; better options exist at the same price point.
The verdict
Should you feed Orijen?
Orijen runs 4 scored products on PetScored, averaging a 5.9 composite. The top-scoring recipe is Original Cat at 6.8.
Across the lineup, Sensitivity Risk is the strongest sub-score (8.9); Value is the weakest (3.5).
3 Brand Trust signals have been verified from primary sources.
No FDA recall matches in the accessible export window. Brand-level history can still matter even when an SKU is clean - we display it for transparency, but it does not subtract Brand Trust points without a verified brand-manufacturer-product match.
If your dog avoids common trigger ingredients, the lineup carries these label flags: chicken, turkey, egg, fish. Sub-score weighting handles them on each individual scorecard.
8.2/ 10
brand trust fixture
- Parent company
- Mars Petcare
- Manufacturer
- Champion Petfoods
- Country
- United States / Canada
- Transparency
- Medium
- Scoring path
- seed score during review
Transparency at a glance
What we can verify about Orijen.
Five signals our rubric weights most for Brand Trust. Each is sourced and dated in the evidence record below. Unknown is not treated as false- it’s recorded as “not publicly disclosed.”
2of 5 verified
- Owns its manufacturing
Brand owns or operates the primary plant where its food is made.
- Named qualified nutritionist
Brand mentions nutrition expertise but does not name a qualified individual.
- AAFCO feeding trials
Feeding-trial protocol status not publicly disclosed.
- Publishes research
Research-publication record not publicly disclosed.
- No FDA recall in 5 years
No FDA firm-issued recall in the last five years.
Brand Trust verification
Signal-by-signal evidence record.
Verified records replace the product-level seed Brand Trust score. Pending and conflicted records stay visible as context; unknown is not treated as false.
partially verifiedseed score during review7 unknown0 conflictLast checked 2026-04-29
Owns or operates primary manufacturing
Champion describes its Acheson, Alberta and Auburn, Kentucky kitchens and says it has 20 pet nutrition and food experts. It also references academic collaboration and research bulletins.
verified true
Current feeding-trial evidence
FAQ references Research & Innovation specialists and food safety systems, but does not provide a product-specific feeding trial record or complete nutrient analysis for the scored product.
unknown
Peer-reviewed research
Champion describes its Acheson, Alberta and Auburn, Kentucky kitchens and says it has 20 pet nutrition and food experts. It also references academic collaboration and research bulletins.
unknown
Complete nutrient analysis
FAQ references Research & Innovation specialists and food safety systems, but does not provide a product-specific feeding trial record or complete nutrient analysis for the scored product.
verified true
No FDA recall in past 5 years
Official FDA firm-issued recall archive, current as of 2026-04-13, matched 6,582 rows from 2009-present against Champion, Orijen, and Acana terms with zero hits.
verified true
No FDA Class I recall ever
No source record captured yet.
unknown
Source needed
Country-of-origin sourcing
No source record captured yet.
unknown
Source needed
Same ownership for 10+ years
Mars announced completion of its Champion Petfoods acquisition on February 28, 2023.
verified false
Active FDA warning letter
No source record captured yet.
unknown
Source needed
Cannot identify qualified nutritionist
No source record captured yet.
unknown
Source needed
Products
Public-beta products in this brand profile.
Independent. PetScored may earn a commission on purchases through tagged links at no extra cost to you. Affiliate revenue does not affect any score on this page. Affiliate disclosure ›
Orijen
Original
$2.38 / 1,000 kcal · 32% above median
A remarkably animal-forward formula with very high protein and broad all-life-stages coverage. The main tradeoff is a long list of common triggers and one of the highest prices in dry kibble.
Dry dog foodLimitedPartially verified
Retailer-sourcedWarning gap
Buy on AmazonOrijen
Original Cat
$2.83 / 1,000 kcal · 41% above median
Most species-appropriate recipe of the group, with a dense lineup of named animal ingredients and declared taurine. The tradeoff is high price and multiple common fish triggers.
Dry cat foodMixedPartially verified
Buy on AmazonOrijen
Regional Red
$3.16 / 1,000 kcal · 76% above median
An extremely high-protein, meat-dense recipe with multiple named red meats and organs plus mackerel and herring. A large pulse stack follows; priced at the top of the market.
Dry dog foodLimitedPartially verified
Buy on AmazonOrijen
Six Fish
$2.46 / 1,000 kcal · 36% above median
The formula is unusually rich in named fish ingredients and delivers excellent protein density. Cost is extremely high, and legumes still occupy a significant portion of the recipe.
Dry dog foodLimitedPartially verified
Buy on AmazonAppears in
PetScored best-for lists this brand is on
- Best dog food for sensitive dogs3 Orijen picks on this list.
- Best high-protein dog food3 Orijen picks on this list.
- Best all-life-stages dog food3 Orijen picks on this list.
- Best dog food for large-breed dogs3 Orijen picks on this list.
- Best dog food for puppies3 Orijen picks on this list.
- Best dog food for active and working dogs3 Orijen picks on this list.
Regulatory context
FDA matching stays visible after launch.
Full FDA export matched 6582 row(s) against configured terms with zero hits. 0 ambiguous candidate row(s) were auto-dismissed. Archive and warning-letter checks may still be required before all Brand Trust gates close.
Checked 1000 row(s), but --full-export was not provided. Active-warning-letter credit remains blocked.
- Recall status
- full export matched
- Recall rows
- 6582
- Recall matches
- 0
- Recall source
- FDA Firm-Issued Recalls Data Sets
- Warning status
- export match pending
- Warning rows
- 1000
- Warning matches
- 0
- Warning source
- FDA Warning Letters
FAQ
About Orijen
Is Orijen dog food any good?
Orijen averages 5.9 out of 10 across 4 scored products. The top-scoring recipe is Original Cat at 6.8. Whether that's "good" depends on which sub-score matters most for your dog - see the brand page for the full verdict and the per-product strengths and watch-outs.
Has Orijen been recalled recently?
No FDA recall matches for Orijen in the accessible export window. Brand-level history may still exist outside the matched export; the brand profile shows what the FDA source covers and what it doesn't.
Who owns Orijen?
Orijen is owned by Mars Petcare. The bag is manufactured by Champion Petfoods and the recipe references United States / Canada for sourcing. Brand Trust signals for manufacturer control and ownership tenure are visible on the brand profile.
Does Orijen pay PetScored for its score?
No. PetScored takes zero manufacturer money - no paid placements, no sponsored rankings, no free-product review programs. Affiliate links on retail-purchase actions are disclosed and never affect scores. See /trust for the full posture.