Well, I've been feeding my dogs Orijen adult dog kibble since Canidae switched their formulas a year ago.

Yesterday I was in the pet store reading the ingredients on various foods (I like to switch brands every now and then). I was unable to find a food that didn't contain "natural flavour". I went back and read the label on the Orijen bag and it didn't contain natural flavour (it was the only brand I found that didn't), but it DID list an ingredient called "zea mays" which the store clerk (who was knowledgeable about food) said was CORN.

So this morning I googled it and lo and behold, she was right!

Interestingly, zea mays is NOT listed on the ingredient list on Orijen's website. But it IS on the package. (Right after marigold flowers). http://www.orijen.ca/orijen/products/adultIngredients.aspx

I found this deceptive in a food supposed to be grain free, and to use a name not commonly recognized as corn. This could be disastrous for those feeding this food to a dog with a corn allergy.

As an aside, can someone tell me why food manufacturers use flavourings in their food for DOGS? (I mean, how picky are dogs really? They eat their own poop!) Top brands like Wellness, Go and Now, Canidae, Instinct/Prairie, and every package I read had "natural flavour" or "natural chicken flavour" added to the food. Orijen was the only exception.

It is not listed on Orijen's website because they changed their formula and removed it due to customer's confusion. Zea Mays is a botanical, from corn, that is used for liver detoxification. The bag you saw at the store must have been from the old stock, but rest assured the new bags do not contain it. The note on Dog Food Analysis should state that it was removed, as is why they updated the review, and you will notice it is no longer listed in the ingredients on that site. There were also some other changes to the formula, less calories I believe and the addition of Citric Acid as a preservative in the chicken fat of the Adult Formula. Check out their site to see additional changes. Some of the changes arose from AAFCO labeling requirements that apparently were different from the requirements in Canada, where Orijen is made. You will notice "Fresh" has been removed from the "6 Fish" product name.

Hope this clarifies, and PS I research dog food way too much lol.

Interesting. Thanks for the information and it explains why the website does not match the ingredient list on the bag.

Citric Acid in pet food has been linked to bloat, though. Is there a reason they chose not to use vitamin E or whatever they used before? (lol, I realize you don't work for the company)

Edit: and any comment about the addition of flavourings to high-end pet food? I'd really like to try and find a food without it.

I too wonder why they added citric acid. On the ingredients it shows preserved with Vitamin E and citric Acid. It concerns me to see this, but it is so far down on the ingredients list that I am not sure it is worth the concern. Also, citric acid is not included in their fish formula, so if your dogs like that you may want to try that. I have been feeding the Acana Provincial (Grain Free) Fish formula and lamb formula, which is also made by Champion (makers of Orijen), over the summer since they are not as active and do not need as much protein/calories (It hasn't gone below 100 during the day and most nights since June here in AZ). The Acana does not have citric acid, at least not yet. I know this is crazy, but I actually wanted to be able to feed my dogs more, since they were always hungry on the Orijen when I reduced the feeding amount, so the Acana has worked out well for that. Same great ingredients and manufacturing, but less protein and calories.

As for the Natural Flavorings, Orijen and Acana do not have natural flavorings. Fromm's 4-star grain free does not, but it does have citric acid, however I have not tried this. Nature's Logic does not contain it, but it is not grain free (millet, which is low allergenic high quality grain) and contains fat in the first 4 ingredients (again bloat concern). I have tried this with my dog's, but it was too rich for them.

Good Luck!

Thanks for your reply Keith. I have a slightly different list of what's available to me since I'm in Canada, so I'll continue to read labels and shop around. I didn't know about fat in the first 4 ingredients being linked to bloat, so I'll look for that too.

I'm not opposed to feeding my dogs a bit of grains, as long as the food is not grain-based and it isn't wheat, corn or soy. (example: something like Canidae used to be). So I'll see what I can find.

Not a problem. EVO and Nature's Variety Instinct also have natural flavorings, but considered high quality foods. All of Natura's products (Innova, Evo...) are made in their own facility, which is a plus in my book. A food I looked into rotating with is Taste of the Wild. It is grain free, lower protein than Orijen and Evo, however it does have natural flavorings and is made in a Diamond facility (no grain so wasn't part of recall, but Diamond did have some products in the recall a few years back).

Fat in the first four ingredients was included in the Purdue University study outlining other factors. Whether or not this is conclusive is up for debate, but it is something to think about.