Danone, one of the world’s largest players in the dairy industry that is now going big on the plant-based milk segment, has announced that it is making improvements in the taste and texture of its oat, soy and almond milks as part of a “plant-based 2.0” platform slated to launch this year.
The company will be launching “dairy-like technology” under So Delicious Wondermilk and Silk NextMilk brands in the US, and under the Alpro Not Milk brand in Europe.
It also plans to revamp the Oat Yeah line under the Silk brand while fast-tracking growth in alternative plant-based ice cream, cheese, creamers and yogurt.
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“The current landscape in beverage is based on an ingredient analog: almond, oat, soy,” said Shane Grant, Co-CEO of Danone, at an earnings call to discuss first-half results.
“The opportunity we see is really the challenge of that convention. We know that in key plant-based markets like the US, 60% of consumers are not in the category. We know the barrier is primarily product taste and product texture.”
Danone, which saw a net income rise of 5%, is working on a platform revamp as its portfolio in the plant-based sector saw its sixth straight double-digit growth globally, which helped in harnessing strong sales increase.
Earlier this year, the company invested 12 million Euros in its Spanish plant-based production facility. With this new facility, it is now aiming 5 billion Euros in plant-based sales by the year 2025.
In an interview with Vegconomist, Domenic Borrelli, President of Plant-Based Food and Beeverages and Premium Dairy at Danone North America, stated, “Many Americans are looking for sustainable and nutritious solutions to add to their diets and swapping plant-based alternatives for traditional dairy options is a step towards progress. We predict that the emphasis on plant-based nutrition will accelerate over time, and we are here to help meet those needs.”
