Orijen 80/20

Regular readers of Dog-Nutrition-Advice.com know that I'm a longtime proponent of Orijen dry dog foods, so of course the recent formula change made me take notice.

Here's the lowdown on Orijen 80/20 and I must say I went from being negative to positive.

Orijen 70/30 vs. 80/20

Orijen currently makes six dry dog foods. Previously all but one contained 70% meat, fish, and eggs, and 30% vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

The Puppy formula contained a little more meat, featuring a 75/25 ingredient split. None of the Orijen formulas included grains of any kind.

All formulas were 40% protein (with the exception of Regional Red which was 38% protein) and 20% carbohydrate (except Puppy which was 18% carbs and Regional Red which was 22%).

Now, four of the six formulas contain 80% meat/fish/eggs and 20% vegetables/fruits/herbs.

Two formulas--Regional Red and Senior--contain 75% meat/fish/eggs and 25% vegetables/fruits/herbs.

In other words, all Orijen kibbles have been reformulated with a higher percentage of meat ingredients.

You'll notice that the top five ingredients of the 80/20 formulas are now meat or fish, whereas before potato was ingredient number four.

At the same time, however, protein levels have dropped to 38% for all formulas except Puppy, which is still 40% protein, while carbohydrate levels increased to a maximum of 25% (except for Puppy, which increased to 20%).

More Meat but Less Protein and More Carbohydrate?

How can that be?

Meat contains no carbs but lots of protein, so shouldn't more meat mean more protein and less carbohydrate?

What you have to remember is that dog food ingredients are listed by their PRE-processing weight.

Orijen dramatically increased the percentage of fresh meats in their food, but fresh meat is about 70% water.

Nearly all of that water disappears during the cooking process, which is why the final product is actually slightly lower in protein and higher in carbohydrate than the old formulas, which contained a greater percentage of their meat content in meal form.

Meat meals contain virtually no water, so close to 100% of the meal ends up in the final product versus only about 30% of the weight that fresh meat adds to the ingredient list.

This is how it's possible that Orijen's 70/30 formulas actually contain slightly more meat POST-processing than the new 80/20 formulas.

And the lower overall meat content translates into slightly lower protein and higher carbohydrate levels.

Meat Quality vs. Quantity

Orijen dog foods have always contained substantially more fresh meat than other super premium brands, and now half of the meat ingredients (includes meat, fish, and eggs) in the newly reformulated Orijen kibbles are fresh and never frozen.

Why does that matter?

Meat meals are rendered products that have already undergone one round of high temperature processing. They are then processed a second time with the rest of the ingredients to make the dog food.

All this processing takes a toll on fragile amino acids and vitamins. Hence it is not surprising that the amino acid and micronutrient profiles of fresh meats are superior to those of meat meals.

One of the reasons I've long recommended Orijen foods is that I feel the ingredient quality is unsurpassed (with the exception of certified organic ingredients, but there are currently no high protein/low carb dry dog foods made from organic ingredients).

Not only are all Orijen ingredients inspected and approved for human consumption, but the meats and eggs are free-range and raised without hormones and antibiotics, and the fish are wild-caught from clean, regional waters and tested for environmental contaminants as an added precaution.

And with the new 80/20 formulas, almost half of all Orijen ingredients are now fresh whole foods--completely unprocessed, additive-free, not exposed to heat or freezing, and delivered fresh every day.

What Else Is New?

Because they contain more fresh meat and less meat meal, most of the Orijen 80/20 and 75/25 formulas are also slightly lower in calcium and phosphorous.

This is a positive.

Meat meals usually contain high levels of these minerals due to the inclusion of ground bone. Since most grain-free high protein kibbles contain lots of meat meal, their calcium/phosphorous levels are often excessively high, making them particularly unsuitable for large and giant breed puppies.

Orijen offers high protein kibble with moderate calcium, phosphorous, and ash levels.

I've also noticed that the glucosamine and chondroitin levels in many formulas have increased slightly, but the difference is not terribly significant.

A couple of formulas (Puppy, Regional Red) have slightly reduced omega-6 fatty acid levels, resulting in an improved omega-3 to omega-6 ratio.

Overall fat content remains the same except for the Adult formula which now has 1% more fat (17% instead of 16%). Calories are nearly identical as well, so you can continue feeding the same amount as before.

Finally, all Orijen foods and the fats contained in them are now preserved exclusively with mixed tocopherols (vitamin E).

Orijen no longer uses citric acid.

Citric acid is a natural preservative, but there is some concern that it contributes to bloat.

The concern stems from a single study conducted by Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine that found dogs fed kibble containing citric acid that was moistened prior to feeding had a 320% higher risk for developing bloat.

I'm sure you see the problem with this.

There is no way to know whether it was the citric acid, the pre-moistening, or the combination of citric acid and adding water to kibble that increased the risk of bloat.

That said, given the seriousness of bloat, it probably makes sense to avoid using citric acid as a preservative in dry dog food, just as it makes sense not to pre-moisten kibble.

At least until there is research indicating that citric acid and/or adding water to kibble do not increase the risk of bloat.

The Taste Test

You care about nutrition; your dog cares about taste.

Orijen kibble has always been exceptionally tasty to dogs, turning even extremely picky dogs used to home-cooked fare into converts. And the new 80/20 and 75/25 formulas are even more palatable than the old recipes.

Orijen reports that dogs prefer the new formulas three to one, which seems about right. Even the smell is improved. Some of the new formulas smell truly delicious--even to a human nose.

The remarkable thing is that the ingredients used are basically the same. It's just that the percentage of fresh ingredients has increased significantly.

Interesting that using more fresh meats and less meat meals would have such a profoundly positive effect on the food's taste and smell.

Orijen 80/20: My Verdict

Overall I think the changes Orijen made are good ones. My only concern is the increase in carbohydrates.

Considering that most dry dog foods are 45-55% carbohydrate, 25% is still quite low, but I preferred the old carbohydrate levels.

I would like to see Orijen come out with at least one lower carbohydrate formula, say below 15%. EVO Turkey and Chicken formula, for instance, has similar ingredients and about the same percentage of meat/fish/eggs as Orijen 80/20 Adult formula, but less than half the carbohydrates.

Of course the vast majority of dogs will do just fine with 25% carbohydrates. They'll enjoy the even greater palatability of Orijen 80/20 and benefit from the higher percentage of fresh meats and whole foods in the kibble as well as from the other smaller improvements.

As far as making the switch from Orijen 70/30 to Orijen 80/20 or 75/25 is concerned, most dogs have no problems whatsoever. A minority of dogs may temporarily experience softer stools. If your dog is prone to digestive disturbances, you may want to hold back some of the old formula and mix it with the new food, gradually transitioning to Orijen 80/20 over a one-week period.