Dannon commits to natural ingredients for flagship brands

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- One of the nation’s leading yogurt brands is overhauling its portfolio of products by adding more natural ingredients.

Dannon says its three flagship brands, Dannon, Oikos and Danimals, will move to more natural ingredients that are non-GMO and non-artificial.  Additionally, for these three brands, the feed of its farmers’ cows will be non-GMO. Starting in 2017 and completing the transformation by the end of 2018, Dannon says it will work with its farmer partners to ensure that the cows that supply Dannon’s milk for these flagship products will be fed non-GMO feed, a first for a leading non-organic yogurt maker.

“We created a new way to work with dairy farmers to improve our shared sustainability priorities,” said Mariano Lozano, president and CEO of the Dannon Company. “Our ambition is to produce healthy food that is affordable, creates economic and social value and nurtures natural ecosystems through sustainable agriculture. Although our journey is independent from that of our organic sister companies, we have learned a lot from and are inspired by Stonyfield and Happy Family.”

The New York-based company, which sells more than 200 different flavors, styles and sizes of cultured refrigerated and frozen dairy products at mass retailers nationwide, has pledged to “evolve the remaining brands over time.”

“It’s our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible,” said Lozano. “And it’s our passion to help people enjoy the benefits of yogurt every day in a sustainable way. While this commitment is ambitious, we believe it’s necessary to continue to serve Americans using a sustainable and transparent model.”