If you’ve been in the store lately, you’ve probably noticed that we have run out of a couple of Acana varieties, and are running low on a couple of others. The reason for that is the upcoming change to the existing Acana Classic (with grain) line. At the same time, Champion Pet Foods will also be introducing a new formula and adjusting the size and style of packaging slightly.
The Acana Classics follow Champion’s Biologically Appropriate, Fresh Regional Ingredients, Never Outsourced (BA.FRI.NO) mandate, and have historically contained either 30% steel-cut oats (Lamb & Apple) or a blend of 20% steel-cut oats and brown rice. In order to achieve a more gradual rise in blood sugar, the brown rice is going to be removed from all of the Classics. This week we will start to receive the reformulated versions, starting with Acana Adult Small Breed. In addition to the change in grains, the Acana Classic Adult will be renamed Chicken and Burbank Potato.
Acana Lamb & Apple has always been a popular single protein/single grain choice with our customers, especially those with allergies to specific proteins. In order to expand the options available to those dogs, Acana will be introducing Duck & Bartlett Pear to what will now be known as the Acana Singles line. Lamb & Apple will be renamed Lamb & Okanagan Apple at the same time.
We really love both Acana lines of food for many reasons and these changes will only make a great regional product even better. We’ll keep you updated on when each of the reformulations, plus the new Duck & Pear arrives in the store.
UPDATED: If your looking for a bit more info, we’ve posted an update here.
My dogs have been eating the new formula of ACANA small breed and even though we are gradually working it into their old formula they are having a difficult time with it. They have diarrhea and my female sometimes vomits. I have 4 dogs and they are all reacting this way to it. Let this be a warning to other ACANA users to begin gradually introducing right away to avoid digestive upset, they are not very happy puppies right now. I also wish that ACANA would warn customers of this so that they could purchase the new formula before their current bags run out so that they can prepare as I did. I have emailed ACANA about my concerns because I noticed that a lot of the ingredients have changed positions, some ingredients are gone and a select few are being introduced and I wanted to know why. It has been a week and I have yet to hear back. The new bags also contain less food for the same price. I hope our pets wellbeing is the reason behind this recent change and not the rumors that they changed it so that they can bring it into other countries markets. It would be sad to sacrifice quality for mass production.
Hi,
Sorry to hear that your dogs aren’t doing well on the reformulated Acana. Hopefully, things have improved by now. So far, we haven’t had any customers come in to the store with any issues. Champion conducted both stool and palatability trials, both resulting with no issues.
I will be updating the posting with more information on the new formulas shortly. From speaking with the folks at Champion, I can say that the changes have mostly been made to enable more regional ingredients to be used. I would be surprised if any changes were to satisfy the requirements of other countries as Champion products already ship to over 50 markets, including much stricter countries in Europe.
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