Danone Embraces Gut Health with Acquisition of The Akkermansia Company
Source: dairynews.today
Danone has acquired The Akkermansia Company, emphasizing its commitment to gut health in alignment with its Renew strategy.
Danone has taken a significant step in its Renew strategy with the acquisition of The Akkermansia Company (TAC), previously held by Seventure Partners. The French multinational aims to deepen its focus on gut health, a field gaining traction for its potential in boosting overall well-being.
TAC's leading product, a pasteurized formulation of Akkermansia muciniphila MucT, is recognized for fortifying the gut barrier, reducing inflammation, and managing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This acquisition aligns with Danone's overarching business overhaul, which began in 2022 under CEO Antoine de Saint‑Affrique. The Renew strategy focuses on sustainable growth by pivoting towards health-driven product categories, with a particular emphasis on gut and protein nutrition.
There is a growing global interest in microbiome health and personalized nutrition, and Danone is positioning itself at the forefront of this trend. Akkermansia muciniphila was first isolated by Wageningen University's Professor Willem Meindert de Vos in 2004, and TAC, co-founded by de Vos and Belgium's Professor Patrice D. Cani, boasts broad patents on its use. Michael Oredsson, TAC's CEO, underlined the advantages of their pasteurized strain over live bacteria: longer potency, no refrigeration needed, and easier product integration.
EFSA approved the strain as a novel food in 2021, marking it as the first next-gen bacterium to receive such recognition in Europe. The acquisition will expedite global growth for TAC's products, as they capitalize on Danone's expansive reach across Europe, North America, and Asia.
TAC's leading product, a pasteurized formulation of Akkermansia muciniphila MucT, is recognized for fortifying the gut barrier, reducing inflammation, and managing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. This acquisition aligns with Danone's overarching business overhaul, which began in 2022 under CEO Antoine de Saint‑Affrique. The Renew strategy focuses on sustainable growth by pivoting towards health-driven product categories, with a particular emphasis on gut and protein nutrition.
There is a growing global interest in microbiome health and personalized nutrition, and Danone is positioning itself at the forefront of this trend. Akkermansia muciniphila was first isolated by Wageningen University's Professor Willem Meindert de Vos in 2004, and TAC, co-founded by de Vos and Belgium's Professor Patrice D. Cani, boasts broad patents on its use. Michael Oredsson, TAC's CEO, underlined the advantages of their pasteurized strain over live bacteria: longer potency, no refrigeration needed, and easier product integration.
EFSA approved the strain as a novel food in 2021, marking it as the first next-gen bacterium to receive such recognition in Europe. The acquisition will expedite global growth for TAC's products, as they capitalize on Danone's expansive reach across Europe, North America, and Asia.
