Danone SA

Danone announced today that it has completed its acquisition of Huel, a leading player in complete, nutritionally balanced meal solutions, extending its portfolio in Functional Nutrition. The deal combines Huel's direct-to-consumer and community engagement capabilities with Danone's scale and global reach, aiming to provide more consumers with convenient, sustainable food. Huel will be consolidated in Danone's financial statements from September 1, 2026. Danone's CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique welcomed Huel to the Danone family, while Huel's CEO James McMaster expressed ambition to grow the brand globally. Huel offers a range of products including powders, ready-to-drink shakes, and nutrition bars, and Danone, with about 90,000 employees and sales of €27.3 billion in 2025, operates in over 120 markets.

The global whey protein market is projected to grow from USD 12.58 billion in 2024 to USD 26.04 billion by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate of 7.56 percent, according to a new report from Custom Market Insights. The market is expected to reach USD 13.52 billion in 2025. Key players include Abbott, Arla Foods, Glanbia plc, Nestle S.A., and Danone's Nutricia. Growth drivers include rising demand for clean-label products, ready-to-drink beverages, personalized nutrition, and expansion of e-commerce.

Danone and Arcor have completed the creation of their joint venture in Argentina, combining Danone Argentina SA, Mastellone Hermanos SA, and logistics subsidiary Logistica La Serenísima. Danone now holds equal control with Arcor, and the 50% shareholding is reflected in Danone’s equity-accounted companies from August 1, 2026. The alliance builds on over two decades of partnership to drive innovation, operational excellence, and commercial reach in the Argentine dairy market.

Supermarket bosses are calling for Andy Burnham to set legally binding targets to increase the proportion of fruit and vegetables grown in Britain by 2040. The chief executives of Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Aldi and the Co-op have written to the Prime Minister warning that wildfires and extreme weather are putting Britain's food supplies at risk. At least half of the nation's imported fruit and vegetables currently come from countries facing extreme water scarcity, the bosses warned. The letter, drafted by the Food Foundation and signed by more than 100 organisations including Danone and Greencore, urges the introduction of a good food bill that would require local authorities to plan for continued food supplies during extreme weather and mandate consideration of food security across government decisions. It also calls for legally binding targets on reducing childhood obesity and increasing children's fruit and vegetable consumption.

French food giant Danone reported second-quarter sales that exceeded market expectations. Like-for-like sales rose 4.2 percent, beating the analyst forecast of 3.7 percent growth. The specialized nutrition division grew 4.5 percent and the water business increased 4.7 percent, driven by strong sales of Volvic mineral water amid a European heatwave. First-half recurring operating profit reached 1.854 billion euros, with a margin of 13.3 percent, slightly above the prior-year period and expectations. The company maintained its outlook in line with medium-term targets, including like-for-like sales growth of 3 to 5 percent for the full year 2026.

The Akkermansia Company, a Danone subsidiary, announced legal developments that significantly strengthen Danone's intellectual property around Akkermansia muciniphila. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued U.S. Patent No. 12,642,821 B2 covering methods of promoting weight loss through oral administration of substantially purified Akkermansia, including both live and pasteurized forms, expanding protection beyond earlier patents that focused on pasteurized Akkermansia. The U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board issued a final judgment confirming that inventors Patrice Cani and Willem M. de Vos were first to invent the use of Akkermansia for metabolic health, though the opposing party has appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. A Belgian court recognized the Cani and de Vos inventors as the rightful inventors and declared related third-party licenses null and void, a decision that Harvard University has appealed. The company is launching its Akkermansia-based brand in the U.S. through direct-to-consumer and health care practitioner channels while expanding in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Danone USA announced its first-ever U.S. Economic Impact Study, reporting a $9.6 billion contribution to the U.S. economy in 2025. The company's business supported approximately 22,000 American jobs across agriculture, manufacturing, research and development, and other industries, with every Danone job helping support nearly three additional jobs. Danone sources about 90% of its ingredients domestically and purchased approximately 200 million gallons of milk from U.S. farms across several states in 2025. The study highlights Danone's investments in U.S. manufacturing, including billions invested over the past decade, and its role in driving nutrition innovation with products like the new OIKOS Fusion high-protein drink. The report was conducted by economic research firm John Dunham & Associates.

Target's retail media arm, Roundel, is piloting a data-driven advertising partnership with DirecTV Advertising that links premium video ads to actual in-store and online purchases at Target. Danone is participating as a pilot client, with broader industry involvement planned. The collaboration pairs Target's shopper insights with DirecTV's premium video inventory to connect ad exposure on television and streaming with real purchase behavior. If successful, the closed-loop measurement could help Roundel capture a larger share of brand advertising budgets and support higher-margin media revenue.

Druid Sport has secured a record portfolio of new regional partnerships for the Argentine Football Association in China. The agreements include Dongfeng, Danone, Du Xiaoman, Wahaha Beverages, Shenzhou Car Rental, and PairDeer, spanning automotive, FMCG, financial services, mobility, and consumer electronics. Eric Fan, Senior VP of Sales of Druid Sport China, said the partnerships translate AFA's global brand power into locally meaningful collaborations with leading Chinese brands. The deals establish a broader commercial platform for AFA in China as the FIFA World Cup 2026 is now underway.

Danone has agreed to buy Australian health and wellness beverage company Made Group from TPG, with the Australian Financial Review reporting a price near A$2 billion, or $1.4 billion, against more than €300 million of fiscal 2026 sales. The acquisition strengthens Danone's presence in Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, adding high-protein and gut-health brands like Cocobella coconut water and Rokeby protein shakes that align with GLP-1 and better-for-you demand trends. Danone also announced it is buying out the remaining 49% of its Saputo Dairy Australia joint venture, giving it full control of regional manufacturing. Both deals are expected to close in the second half of the year.

Danone has filed a lawsuit against Chobani in New York, accusing the US yogurt maker of misleading consumers by manipulating serving sizes to inflate protein content claims. The suit alleges that Chobani lists a 6.7-ounce serving for its 20G Protein product to advertise 20 grams of protein per serving, while the industry standard is 5.3 ounces, making it appear comparable to Danone's Oikos Pro. Danone stated that the conduct is particularly insidious given that healthcare providers and the federal government encourage choosing foods with higher protein concentrations. This legal action follows a separate 2024 lawsuit in which Danone accused Chobani of copying packaging and slogans for cold-brew coffee products.