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The short answer: It's a tie on the rubric — both score an A (90/100). Both are made by Champion Petfoods — Orijen is their premium line and Acana their (slightly) more affordable sibling. Orijen earns a slight qualitative edge by packing in more fresh animal ingredients and probiotics, but the grade is dead even, so Acana is the value pick.

The scores

Orijen Original: A (90/100) — Exceptional. One of the highest-scoring foods in our database. Fresh chicken, turkey, eggs, liver, and whole herring lead the formula.

Acana Red Meat: A (90/100) — Excellent. Fresh beef, pork, and lamb with meat meals for concentrated protein.

How the ingredients compare

The top ingredients show why Orijen commands a higher price:

Orijen: Fresh Chicken, Fresh Turkey, Fresh Whole Eggs, Fresh Chicken Liver, Fresh Whole Herring...

Acana: Fresh Angus Beef, Fresh Yorkshire Pork, Fresh Grass-Fed Lamb, Beef Meal, Pork Meal

Both formulas are packed with animal protein — a stark contrast to mainstream brands where you'd see grains or plant proteins filling these positions. But Orijen goes further with an even wider range of fresh ingredients, including organ meats (chicken liver) and fish (whole herring) in the top five alone. Orijen's formula typically contains 85% animal ingredients, while Acana runs around 60–70%.

Where Orijen pulls ahead

Animal ingredient density: Orijen's "Biologically Appropriate" philosophy means roughly 85% of the formula comes from animal sources, compared to Acana's 60–70%. That translates to more protein from meat and fewer carbohydrates overall. The ingredient list reads like a butcher shop — fresh chicken, fresh turkey, eggs, liver, herring, turkey liver, chicken heart, and more.

Ingredient variety: Orijen Original includes poultry, fish, and eggs — three completely different animal protein categories in one formula. This provides a broader amino acid profile, more diverse omega fatty acids (the herring contributes EPA and DHA), and more complete nutrition overall.

Organ meats: Fresh chicken liver and other organs provide naturally concentrated vitamins and minerals — including iron, B12, and vitamin A — in a form that's highly bioavailable to dogs. Many premium brands skip organ meats entirely.

Probiotics: Orijen includes freeze-dried probiotic cultures that are added after cooking to preserve their viability. Probiotics support digestive health and immune function, and Orijen's post-processing addition is the right way to include them in kibble. Shop on Amazon →

Where Acana holds its own

Price: Acana typically costs 15–25% less than Orijen per pound. For a 90/100 food, that's excellent value — Acana matches Orijen's A/90 grade at a lower price point.

Red meat focus: If your dog prefers or does better on red meat proteins, Acana Red Meat delivers beef, pork, and lamb without the poultry that dominates most dog food formulas. Some dogs with chicken sensitivities thrive on Acana's red-meat-only approach.

Meat meals for concentrated protein: Acana includes beef meal and pork meal alongside the fresh meats. Meat meals are dehydrated and contain roughly 3x the protein per pound of fresh meat. This means Acana's actual protein delivery per cup is comparable to Orijen's — and the rubric grades the two equally.

Same manufacturer, same standards: Champion Petfoods makes both brands in the same facilities with the same quality control standards. Acana isn't a cut-rate version of Orijen — it's a deliberately formulated line with a slightly different animal-to-plant ratio. Shop on Amazon →

The bottom line

Orijen Original and Acana Red Meat are evenly matched at A/90 — both among the highest grades we've recorded. Orijen earns a slight qualitative edge with its extraordinary density and variety of fresh animal ingredients, but the rubric scores them equally, and Acana ties the top of our database alongside Nulo (A/90) and Stella & Chewy's (A/90).

If budget is no concern, go with Orijen. If you want top-tier nutrition at a lower price — or your dog does better with red meat proteins — Acana is an excellent choice. Either way, you're feeding your dog one of the best foods on the market. Read our full reviews for ingredient-by-ingredient breakdowns of both formulas.

For dogs 7+ feeding on the Orijen line, Orijen Senior (A/90) applies the same biologically appropriate foundation with senior-specific marine-omega-3 elevation (salmon + whole herring earlier in the ingredient list) and pumpkin fiber for digestive regularity. For puppies, Orijen Puppy (A/90) uses the same WholePrey model tuned for developmental nutrition.