32 Facts About Danone

Danone S A is a French multinational food-products corporation based in Paris.

Danone was founded by Isaac Carasso, a Salonica-born Sephardic Jewish physician from the Ottoman Empire, who began producing yogurt in Barcelona, Spain in 1919.

In Europe in 1967, Danone merged with Gervais, the leading fresh cheese producer in France, and became Gervais Danone.

In 1973, the company merged with Gervais Danone and began to expand internationally, including a rebranding of the Dannon yogurt brand in the U S and a successful ad campaign, In Soviet Georgia.

In 1987, Gervais Danone acquired European biscuit manufacturer General Biscuit, owners of the LU brand, and, in 1989, it bought out the European biscuit operations of Nabisco, The operation included UK manufacturers Huntley and Palmers, Peek Frean, and Jacob's, which had previously merged to form Associated Biscuits Ltd.

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In 1994, BSN changed its name to Groupe Danone, adopting the name of the group's best-known international brand.

In July 2007, it was announced that Danone had reached agreement with Kraft Foods Inc to sell most of its biscuits division, including the LU and Prince brands but excluding Latin American and Indian units, for around €5.

Danone acquired the Unimilk group's companies in Russia in 2010 and the Wockhardt group's nutrition activities in India in 2012.

In mid-February 2013 Danone announced their intention to cut 900 jobs or about 3.

Since 2013, Danone has grown on the African continent, notably with the acquisition of a controlling interest in Centrale Danone in Morocco and equity interests in Fan Milk in West Africa and Brookside in Kenya.

Danone was present in 130 markets and generated sales of US$25.

Danone is led by a CEO and chairman as well as a board of directors.

Danone signed joint ventures with Al Safi in Saudi Arabia, Yakult in India and Vietnam, Alqueria in Colombia, and Mengniu in China .

Danone India offers a range of specialized products across life stages that includes pregnancy, infants, young children as well as adults, under recognized Indian and global brands like Aptamil, Neocate, Farex, Protinex, Dexolac and Nusobee.

In 2018, Danone reduced its product portfolio and discontinued some dairy SKUs to bring a sharper focus on its nutrition offerings.

In March 1996 Danone signed an agreement to purchase 20 percent of the Strauss Group, Israel's second largest food manufacturer.

Danone has invested in China since 1987 with the joint venture with Fengxing Milk in Guangzhou.

Parties announced in October 2007 that Danone would divest its stake by selling it to the other two main shareholders at a small profit.

Bright Dairy said Danone would pay 330m yuan to terminate the existing distribution and production agreement with it.

Yet in 2005, Danone noted that alongside the 39 structures of the joint venture, 60 factories and distribution companies produce and sell beverages illegally under the Wahaha brand.

Danone made several attempts to take a stake in the Wahaha companies external to the joint venture, but was rebuffed by Wahaha's General Manager Zong Qinghou.

Danone left the Danone-Wahaha joint venture and sold its shares to its former Chinese partner.

On 18 June 2010, Danone partnered with Unimilk, one of Russia's main milk producers.

In October 2013, Danone teamed up with Abraaj Group to acquire FanMilk International, the leading manufacturer and distributor of frozen dairy products and juices in Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Benin and Ivory Coast.

Danone was the first CEO to publicly state that human and environment aspects of a company should be take into account.

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Danone Institute is a non-profit organization established to promote research, information and education about nutrition, diet and public health.

For instance, the Czech Danone Institute provides a fund to support research, development and education in nutrition, and scholarships abroad.

Danone Institute International is a non-profit organization originally established with funding from Danone.

Danone International Prize For Nutrition is a cornerstone in the work of the Danone Institute International.

Danone International Prize for Nutrition is an award established in 1997 by the Danone Institute International, presented every two years to honour individuals or teams that have advanced the science of human nutrition.

Still, major companies including Danone have been criticized for sponsoring such things as nutritional conferences and web platforms for doctors.

On 8 January 2014, Danone announced its decision to terminate its existing supply contract with Fonterra and make any further collaboration contingent on a commitment by its supplier to full transparency and compliance with the food safety procedures applied to all products supplied to Danone.