Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear food problem encountered

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to give you all a heads up regarding a food inconsistency problem I encountered recently with the latest large bag of Acana Duck and Bartlett Pear I received from Chewy.com. It had pieces interspersed throughout the bag coated with a white powdery looking substance, which may or may not have have been mold (it didn't smell bad, but I wasn't about to taste it). I had only stored the food for 2 weeks before opening it and making the discovery.  Chewy resolved the problem quickly, giving me a full refund (they offered to send a new bag, but since I was changing Oscar's food to a weight management one which had just shipped, I opted for the refund). They told me they would inform their Supply department of the problem. I've also contacted Acana, but so far haven't heard back from them.

The percentage of affected kibble was small, and would have been easy to miss right away. Sifting through your new dog food is probably a good practice in order to identify any problems in consistency early.

Here's a picture of the affected kibble (which I sent to Chewy).

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

I have been using Acana Lamb singles and have not noticed any problems.  I do freeze all dog food asap and then take out one 5# bag at a time.  I also prefer to buy two mid size bags (13#) from chewy at one time and get free shipping.  I just dislike those huge bags even though I have two dogs.  You really cannot beat Chewy's service.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

Isn't this the second problem I've seen posted on here about Acana in the last couple of months?
I've switched to Acana from Origen to save a few bucks. I know they are both made by Champion.
But I've felt safe about the brand. Karen, any reason to start being concerned?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't remember another problem, but I'm old, lol. Someone did post recently about an upcoming change to the Classics line, maybe that's what you're thinking of? I do still have complete confidence in the brand.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

If I remember correctly it had to do with the color of it. Seems like it was a lighter color.
Maybe I'm dreaming ;-)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I posted about a color change in the Wellness Simple Solutions formula I feed JD. Maybe you're thinking of that one? 

[Anita - Thunder, Noodle, Sparky]

I tried to switch from Orijen to Acana and one of mine started shedding like crazy. Have you run into that?

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Anita.  The food isn't going to cause shedding.  A quality food improves the skin and coat and hence there might be LESS shedding.  Most likely the increase in shedding is seasonal.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree.

[Oliver & Elizabeth]

While this is unfortunate, I doubt that this is a systemic issue. Maybe a micro hole in the bag caused spoilage?

Oliver goes through one four pound bag of duck and pear every 10-15 days and I've never encountered an issue (but I do notice small variations in color and amount of particulate). For reference, we're on the following lot number and the food looks perfect! It will be interesting to hear what Champion says!

BB 17 Sep 2016
Lot 1005836M1
190615 2140

[Karen & Maple]

Thanks for the heads up Debb. I just went through our 4 lb bag and bagged into portions. No signs of trouble. Question- I'm ising the smaller bags for now until I know this is good fit for Maple. Where a bag of this size only lasts 2-3 weeks, should I bother portioning out? When I do go to bigger bags, how long should I store portioned bags at room temp? In other words, I should freeze under what circumstances?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

According to JD's dermatologist, you should not keep more than a month's worth of opened food unless you can freeze some of it. 

I empty all dog food bags into storage bags and/or containers regardless of size, and dispose of the manufacturer's bags immediately. This was also advised by the derm vet because JD has storage mite allergies. But it seems like a wise thing for anyone to do, as it does give you a chance to examine the food, and who needs the mites even if your dog isn't allergic, lol? A 4 or 5 lb bag will easily fit into a 2.5 gallon zip-lock bag. 

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

I'm unclear why dry food should be transferred immediately to storage bags (or other air tight container). Is there something in the manufacturer's bag that makes storing the food unopened harmful?