Many of you will remember that about 100 Australian cats were stricken with paralysis as a result of eating gamma irradiated Orijen cat kibble imported from Champion Petfoods in Canada. Champion insisted all along they did not know their food was going to be irradiated. Documents obtained under the Australian Freedom of Information Act indicate that not only did they know about the irradiation,their Australian importer asked them for the agreement to irradiate which, in a space of about 5 working days, they gave. The company has gone on record as not doing enough due diligence to understand the requirements of the Australian market prior to coming here. They didn't leave themselves much time to do any, did they? For a company priding itself on the nutritional superiority of its food you would think they might have looked into it and uncovered the studies dating back to the 1960s that talk about nutrient depletion, notably vitamin A, in gamma irradiated foods.

As a result some 30 cats have been euthanised or died of seizures or internal organ complications. Some cats have virtually fully recovered, others only partially. The company's failure to fully meet all veterinary and associated costs with rehabilitating the cats, or even answer queries about it and stay in contact, is a source of much grief, frustration and anger here.

The upheaval and sorrow in all of the owners' lives is hard to convey in real terms, and all brought about by what is in my opinion, a failure to act responsibly in being in control of the integrity of a product from manufacturing plant to food bowl and a failure to make full reparation.

Thankfully the Australian Government has now banned the gamma irradiation of cat food, thanks to heavy lobbying by owners, the RSPCA, and our wonderful veterinary neurologist Dr Georgina Child of Sydney University, who personally went to Canberra to meet with Quarantine and Biosecurity Australia and presented her own research findings and linked it to similar published studies in Ireland and the USA. The manufacturer, ever on the look out for a chance to big-note themselves, are claiming to have played a key role in providing information to get the ban over the line. Australian Quarantine have advised they did not have any communication either directly or indirectly with the company in relation to any research or evidence upon which the Minister relied in bringing down his decision.

If you would like to view the documents that are now in the public domain please follow the links below:


http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahh0aa0/n/2_Orijen_irradiation_Docs_released_under_FOI_pdf

http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahhh99a/n/3_Formal_review_responses_to_questions_pdf

http://www.filefactory.com/file/ahhh99c/n/1_FOI_Application_procedural_docs_pdf

Thank you for your interest.

First and foremost, I would like to thank our anonymous poster for this information! As most anyone who knows me is fully aware of, my trust in the industry is little to none!

I am particularly saddened though, by this one, although on a personnel level, I knew in my heart that they probably knew all along that it was going to be irradiated. This was one of the companies for which I was giving a small measure of trust to......... however tiny it was. That has now been shattered!

I have downloaded and read and/or scanned all three of these documents! I will be copying this post and all it's contents to the Orijen board as well as here.

Sad day for all of the Orijen feeders ................<sigh>

Thank you for your support Pamela and for taking the time to make the documents easier for readers to access.

Thank you Public Informer and also welcome to the forum. This is quite informative although I don't worry about any animal foods as I home cook.

Yes a lot of people are going that way so I understand. You only had to feed this one in a small, sort of supplementary way for the filth to do its damage, so I understand. thank you for the welcome. This is a nice site.

Thankyou Public Informer and Pam,

I have often been made to feel (and I don't) a neglectful owner because I did not feed Oscar a dried food because it contains all the nutrients, minerals, vitamins - blah. I am not against dried but I don't see how it would be any good for a our Oscar who has multiple problems. Might I add that his first bout of pancreatitis was from dried food which a vet told us to use with him, he was less 12 months. All of Oscar's food is cooked or raw. He has a variety as much as his skin and body will tolerate. The only thing he won't do without is his greenies.

I was devastated by the Origen issue, particularly all those poor people who lost their cats. The program that appeared on the ABC and how Orijen would not accept liability. I believe that Georgina Child is a very knowledgeable specialist as she works from the same clinic where our Oscar has been treated for inflammatory glaucoma. I am saddened by the lack of responsibility taken by the co. that owns Orijen but at the same time I am not surprised. Greed is a terrible desire.


Marg

Hi Marge,

That is pretty much how Denise feels as well and Murray is flourishing on his cooked diet, as I am sure Oscar is as well. Denise faithfully does all his weeks/months cooking ahead of time for him and she uses some supplements as well. I am sure Oscar would give you kisses for keeping himoff the commercial foods, if he understood :) Lil-Lea too, eats only raw or cooked foods. Some can not feed anything but sr for various reason and so ...... I am so disappointed in Orijen ......... <sigh>

Great site.

That info from Public Informer was an eye-opener. Thanks for posting.

Shame on Champion for not covering all of these owners' vet bills.

Orijen's irradiation issues are bad enough, but "biologically appropriate" food does not include meal from US rendering companies.

I'm sorry. No Orijen for my crew.