Dannon makes Oikos and Dannon products ‘more natural’

Dannon has unveiled new Oikos- and Dannon-branded products that contain more natural and non-GMO ingredients.

The move is the beginning of the transformation of the Dannon, Oikos and Danimals brands, and over time the three brands will evolve to contain non-GMO ingredients and add more choice to its diverse range of yogurts available in the US. The new products were made available for the first time this week.

Additionally, “within several months”, all of Dannon’s products in the US that have GMO ingredients will be clearly labelled as such, independent of any action taken by the federal government.  This falls in line with measures announced in April to label products with GMOs ahead of it being legally required to do so.

And starting in 2017 and completing the transformation by the end of 2018, Dannon will go one step further to ensure that the cows that supply Dannon‘s milk for these three flagship brands will be fed non-GMO feed – a first for a leading non-organic yogurt maker. This will involve the conversion of an estimated 80,000 acres of farmland to produce non-GMO crops in order to provide non-GMO feed for the milk used to make Dannon, Oikos and Danimals-branded products.

The changes have been made “because consumer preferences are continuing to evolve and Dannon puts consumers at the centre of every decision it makes”.

“Shoppers are our main ingredient, and what is important to them drives what we do. For this reason, the range of products we make is evolving to provide even more choices,” said Mariano Lozano, CEO of Dannon. “Transparency is the key word for this shift. To show to our consumers that in order to make a real choice, we need clear labels, today we are making a bold change and candidly discussing how transparency from brands is essential for shoppers to make real choices.”

The Dannon Pledge – the set of measures announced in April – further vows to increase transparency in labelling is among the first steps in the Dannon Pledge. The company has committed to further improving sustainable agriculture practices around its milk supply, increasing transparency of its portfolio of products, and evolving to more natural and fewer ingredients for its three flagship  brands, which account for approximately half of the company’s sales.

“Choosing to purchase foods with fewer or more natural ingredients, or with or without GMO ingredients, is an important individual decision, and we feel strongly that people have the right to know how companies are making food. This is just the first of many steps towards our continued transparency and one that we hope others will follow,” said Lozano.  “And we’re not just doing this alone. Dannon is proud to have the support of the Non-GMO Project, Green America and Just Label It.”

Beginning in early 2017, Dannon will go one step further by working with feed suppliers and its farmer partners to start planting non-GMO feed to fulfil its pledge that the cows that supply milk for the company’s three flagship brands will be fed non-GMO feed, a first for a leading non-organic yogurt maker. This is slated to be completed by the end of 2018. Once these changes are implemented, these products from the three brand families will contain milk from cows fed only non-GMO feed.