In addition to our health-promoting products, Danone has launched educational initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and specialized programs to make nutrition accessible for all.
Americans are more eager than ever to look after their nutrition but eating healthy isn’t always easy. It takes time, research, and resources that not everyone has to spare. That’s why Danone North America is working overtime to give consumers the tools they need to succeed.
The numbers are clear: Americans want to make careful choices when it comes to the food they put in their bodies, but many don’t know where to start. Although 50 percent of Americans want to eat healthy and 83 percent check nutrition labels before making a purchase, 46 percent of Americans believe that healthy food is more expensive and 23 percent don’t feel they have the time to prepare healthy meals. Meanwhile, nearly nine out of 10 adults struggle with health literacy, including the ability to understand nutrition information — which can make grocery shopping even more stressful.
That’s where Danone believes food companies have the opportunity to make an impact. As one of the largest food and beverage companies and certified B Corps in the world, Danone is taking action to educate communities and make nutritious foods more available.
In addition to our nutrient-dense portfolio, which includes health-forward yogurt, plant-based products and beverages and has been recognized by the ATNi as one of the healthiest portfolios in the sector, Danone has invested millions to make nutritious foods more accessible to all. We’ve advocated for crucial programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and we’ve developed new, innovative ways to give Americans the knowledge they need to improve their health.
Our work gets results. In 2024, the Access to Nutrition initiative (ATNi) ranked Danone No. 1 in its Global Access to Nutrition Index — which evaluates efforts from the top 30 largest Food & Beverage manufacturers to address and combat malnutrition. That recognition further validates the importance of our work to deliver health through food to as many people as possible, both globally and within the U.S.
Education is key to community health, and right now, consumers are wading through more conflicting information than ever. At Danone, we’re cutting through the noise by delivering simple, science-based advice.
Last March, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a first-of-its-kind qualified health claim acknowledging a potential link between regular yogurt consumption and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes — the culmination of five years of effort at Danone to help consumers understand yogurt’s nutritional benefits.
“Type 2 diabetes is one of the most significant ailments in the United States, and diagnoses are rapidly increasing,” said Kristina Cole, Chief Commercial and Customer Officer at Danone North America. “We’re proud that our groundbreaking initiative is helping educate consumers about a new potential nutritional benefit of yogurt, which may help reduce people’s risk and can grow the category, and our customers have been excited to join Danone in driving awareness.”
Our impact will only continue to grow in the years to come. Back in 2022, we pledged to invest $15 million by 2030 in nutrition education, reaching more than 30 million American consumers and healthcare providers each year.
As part of that effort, our Scientific Affairs team and Danimals yogurt business worked with approximately 8,000 pediatricians in 2023 to distribute educational materials to the public. These offered advice on topics like helping children make healthy choices, reducing food waste and the nutritional benefits of yogurt. Meanwhile, our Happy Family brand is providing our parent guide for starting solid foods (available in English and Spanish) to 3,000 pediatric offices.
Danone is also finding new ways to give consumers crucial information by meeting them where they are. In February, we noticed that searches related to weight-loss drugs spiked 50 percent during this year’s Super Bowl, with 21 percent of those searches focused on nutrition — so we launched a #NutritionGroupChat for GLP-1 consumers on Instagram.
For five hours, registered dieticians answered the public’s questions about how to meet their evolving nutritional needs while taking these supplements, offering practical, actionable insights to a growing community in need of answers.
“As a company with decades of science leadership and one of the healthiest, most nutrient-dense portfolios on the market, we knew our in-house Registered Dietitians and external partners could deliver the authoritative advice that this growing community craves,” said Whitney Evans, Ph.D., RD and Director, Nutrition & Scientific Affairs at Danone North America
Too often, Americans’ access to healthy foods depends on their income. Because Danone believes that community health must be a community effort, we’ve spent years investing in programs that make nutritious foods more accessible to consumers who need them most.
Danone has proudly supported the USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children* (better known as WIC) for more than a decade. The public health program provides benefits including free, nutrient dense foods, nutrition education, and service referrals for income-eligible pregnant and postpartum moms, infants, and children up to five years old.
As of 2023, WIC covers an estimated 39 percent of all U.S. infants each month, and we have a dedicated team advocating at the federal and state level to keep it funded. Our in-house advocates are also working to reduce participation barriers so that more families can participate in the program. Because every family’s needs are different, we have innovated our products to ensure that they are WIC-eligible and provide important nutrients for key life stages. Because of this effort, products of various sizes from brands like Activia, Dannon, Light + Fit, Oikos, Silk, and Happy Family are WIC-eligible.
“WIC plays a vital role in helping at-risk families access the nutritious foods that we all deserve,” said Danone North America Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs Gemma Hart. “We at Danone recognize the vital role that food and beverage companies can play in building a healthier community for all, so we’ve partnered with the National WIC Association and other key stakeholders to increase funding and offer flexible food options to help more mothers, babies, and children.”
The rest of our work toward a healthier America can be seen on grocery store shelves, where our delicious, nutrient-dense products make the “right” choices feel easy.
For Americans, especially, the stakes of this effort could not be higher: Diet-related diseases like cardiovascular disease and diabetes are the No. 1 cause of death in the United States, and globally, bad diets lead to more deaths than smoking.
Health-promoting products make up 70 percent of Danone North America’s food and beverage portfolio and one of our top priorities has been enhancing nutrition across Danone’s children’s products. By the end of 2025, we will have fortified at least 85 percent of kids' dairy products with relevant vitamins and minerals, and we’ve already reduced the sugar content in key products like Danimals pouches and drinks as well as our Danonino cups.
Our journey doesn’t stop there, either. This year, Danone will also launch five global projects targeting iron deficiency in children; provide 20 million people access to safe drinking water; and ensure that at least 85% of our dairy, water, plant-based, and aquadrinks products achieve a 3.5 Health Star Rating. There are no shortcuts when it comes to improving nutrition, but Danone is committed to improving America’s health for the long haul.
*WIC is a registered service mark of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for USDA’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.
