As a leading food and beverage company with one of the most exciting and nutrient-dense portfolios in the industry, Danone understands that health – and the role food plays in health – is more critical than ever. As an innovative and purpose-driven food and beverage leader, Danone is taking action to remain at the forefront of nutrition, technology and science, by producing food in a sustainable way with positive impact for people and our planet.
This remains a top priority for consumers today as food is at the heart of some of the greatest global challenges at present:
By 2050, the world population will hit an estimated 10 billion people, requiring 50% more foodi and 80% more proteinii than the current population needs. The need for sustainable food production methods is clear.
51% of the global population may be overweight or obese by 2035.iii
One third of GHG emissions, 80% of deforestation, and over 70% of freshwater use globally originate from food systems.iv
Consumers are counting on the food industry to lead when it comes to responsibly feeding a growing population and doing so in a way that aligns with evolving consumer health demands and needs. Here is how Danone is innovating to deliver nutritious products that have a ripple effect on the health of communities and the climate.
Our mission at Danone is to bring health through food to as many people as possible, and we believe that innovative nutrition means providing better health benefits for consumers, communities and nature – along with our own sustainable business growth.
Danone is at the forefront of tracking consumer expectations and designing food benefits of the future based on decades of nutrition science leadership. We are leveraging traditional and emerging technology to elevate the consumer benefit and experience, including macronutrients (high-protein, high-fiber), calorie reduction, and lower/no sugar, across our versatile brands in yogurt, plant-based food, coffee, waters and baby nutrition. We’re also exploring new nutrition terrain from the unique challenges faced by GLP-1 / weight loss drug users to precision fermentation to unlock benefits for consumers and climate.
These innovations have the potential to impact big public health challenges, and we believe creating delicious products with these benefits enables our business to deliver real, positive impact.
Oikos is a leader (No. 1) in the high protein yogurt and cultured dairy market, offering consumers options that deliver superior high-protein quality and taste, with several flavors and formats (Pro drinks, shots).
Demand for the plant-based protein market continues to surge and is projected to reach 20.5B by 2029v. Recognizing this desire, we introduced Silk® Protein with eight times more protein than Silk® Almondmilk and five times more protein than Silk® Oatmilk.
Interest in gut health and the microbiome has greatly accelerated in the last decade. We know that gut health is vital to nutrition, and we are leading the way to understand how superior biotics can benefit the body and brain.
Activia is the original gut health pioneer, and the No. 1 gut health* brand in the U.S. With billions of our exclusive probiotics in every cup, Activia has led the way on probiotic research and innovation for the last 20 years.
Sugar is one of the most checked items on nutrition labels. Our ingredient innovation is vital to ensuring we continue to deliver great-tasting, lower-sugar products. From sweet proteins to proprietary combinations of existing ingredients, we are constantly innovating with our best-in-class suppliers to develop winning sweetening systems.
We launched Too Good in 2019, opening up the lower sugar segment in the yogurt aisle. It has since expanded into drinks and mix-ins to bring incredible taste, purpose and versatility to the segment.
New Too Good Zero Sugar** has no artificial sweeteners and is sweetened with stevia extract to deliver clean sweetness that complements the fruit and vanilla flavors of the product. Our team did extensive testing on 60+ glycosides (the sweet components of the stevia plant) to design a unique blend for this product.
Our Happy Family Organics brand is innovating to earn the Clean Label Project’s Purity Award across our formulas and baby purees. This process evaluates products for substances not found on product labels to minimize consumer exposure to known chemicals of concern.
Happy Family has also launched a new line of Happy Baby Organics Infant Formula, the first and only USDA & EU-certified organic formulas made in Europe with the world’s finest ingredients to be sold in the U.S. The new formulas are a result of years of research & development, our own Happy Baby clinical growth & safety trial with U.S. babies, and our science-led expertise in breast milk research and biotics. Modeled after breast milk, these formulas feature a Patented Probiotic and Prebiotic Blend that help support a baby's gut health and support the development of the immune system for years to come.
We recently launched Silk Kids to provide the brand’s first-ever plant-based beverage made with a creamy oak and pea blend crafted for children ages five and up. Silk Kids provides 8 grams of plant protein per serving to help support muscle health, DHA omega-3 and choline to help support brain health, and prebiotics so we can keep kids nourished as they start to grow.
At Danone, we are continually evolving our products to adapt to emerging health and scientific breakthroughs.
The acceleration and adoption of anti-obesity medications (GLP-1s) has stimulated innovation with the nutrition needs of GLP-1 users in mind. We are closely following specific nutritional challenges that come with these medications so that our innovation can meet specific needs like nutrient management and muscle mass preservation.
We also are exploring more sustainable food production through technology like precision fermentation. This is a safe, high-quality and cutting-edge technology that has the potential to transform the food system as we know it by producing protein via fermentation.
What is precision fermentation? Rather than using animals, precision fermentation uses microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast or fungi to grow cultured protein, enzymes and other molecules that are identical to their conventionally produced animal counterparts. These are then used to create products ranging from medicine to food.
This technology can reduce environmental impact and complement the sustainability practices we already implement with farmers and partners, while unlocking access to nutrition for communities who may not have access to traditional dairy supply.
We believe nutrition innovation has the power to change lives in the face of a growing global population with evolving needs, preferences and priorities alongside environmental and economic constraints. We see innovation as lever to unlock more access to and availability of nutrition, and believe we are early in the journey of understanding the impact nutrition can have in transforming the health of people and planet.
**Not a low calorie food
ii https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323916523000265
iii More than half the world's population age 5 and older — or more than 4 billion people — are projected to be overweight or obese by 2035 (World Obesity Federation).
iv Leveraging technology and innovation to transform food systems | World Economic Forum (weforum.org)
