Danone's Global Trends 2024: Healthy Aging, Flexitarianism, Protein
Source: The DairyNews
During a recent online event, Danone presented the results of its innovation efforts and plans for the coming years. Dairynews.today organized the most interesting statements from the company and shares with readers the main trends that one of the market leaders in FoodBev is embracing.
Over the past two years, Danone has undergone radical transformations, changing not only its portfolio and product positioning but also its recipes and packaging assortment.
During this period of transformation, the company focused on a customer-oriented approach, strengthening the core of its product portfolio, accelerating growing categories, and correcting lagging ones.
“There are no shortcuts in solving long-term structural problems,” the company asserts. Differentiating the portfolio and divesting non-strategic assets (including in Russia), as noted by the company, allowed focusing on the most successful and necessary consumer directions. For comparison, sales of high-protein products in the 2021 financial year amounted to around 400 million euros. In 2023, this figure reached 1 billion euros.
“Changes in our diet, health, and healthy aging are structural factors for Danone,” the company states. By 2040, the population aged 65+ years will increase by 550 million people. “The world is aging but not becoming healthier. 40% of the adult population has elevated cholesterol, 30% face obesity issues. 40% of adults encounter various degrees of intestinal health problems,” Danone explains.
In the modern world, Danone sees three important trends that food and beverage manufacturers must consider. “A multipolar world is a trend telling us that 60% of consumers want to know the source of the product they buy. Both global and local brands, offering products at prices suitable for specific consumers and needed in specific consumption situations, will grow.”
More people are facing water shortages. Companies are aiming for maximally regenerative agriculture and production. 25% of consumers worldwide are flexitarians or flexible consumers. They are willing to consume new products and are open to experimenting with plant-based products or those produced by targeted fermentation.
Attractive categories, according to Danone experts, remain yogurts, which have proven their effectiveness to consumers worldwide. There are great prospects in therapeutic nutrition. Currently, the company leads the markets in therapeutic nutrition and products for intestinal health.
Overall, Danone's assortment covers all key stages of a person’s life.
The company outlines several platforms/directions for food products that are attractive both for consumers and for the growth of manufacturing companies:
Protein in Trend
An important direction remains dairy products and desserts enriched with protein. According to Danone experts, milk-based products (including food mixtures, powders, dairy drinks, yogurts, and desserts) enriched with protein show more significant growth than the entire foodbev sector. Moreover, yogurts and desserts enriched with protein are growing at double-digit rates.
For example, the Oikos brand, widely distributed in 30 countries around the world, has doubled from 2021 to 2023.
Protein is currently a key growth factor for the yogurt category.
“These are science-based data. Proteins are necessary at all stages of a person’s life and with any lifestyle. Proteins must be obtained daily through diet. Currently, we see promising directions for protein yogurts - products for children, for healthy aging, and products for recovery and performance,” the company noted.
During this period of transformation, the company focused on a customer-oriented approach, strengthening the core of its product portfolio, accelerating growing categories, and correcting lagging ones.
“There are no shortcuts in solving long-term structural problems,” the company asserts. Differentiating the portfolio and divesting non-strategic assets (including in Russia), as noted by the company, allowed focusing on the most successful and necessary consumer directions. For comparison, sales of high-protein products in the 2021 financial year amounted to around 400 million euros. In 2023, this figure reached 1 billion euros.
“Changes in our diet, health, and healthy aging are structural factors for Danone,” the company states. By 2040, the population aged 65+ years will increase by 550 million people. “The world is aging but not becoming healthier. 40% of the adult population has elevated cholesterol, 30% face obesity issues. 40% of adults encounter various degrees of intestinal health problems,” Danone explains.
In the modern world, Danone sees three important trends that food and beverage manufacturers must consider. “A multipolar world is a trend telling us that 60% of consumers want to know the source of the product they buy. Both global and local brands, offering products at prices suitable for specific consumers and needed in specific consumption situations, will grow.”
More people are facing water shortages. Companies are aiming for maximally regenerative agriculture and production. 25% of consumers worldwide are flexitarians or flexible consumers. They are willing to consume new products and are open to experimenting with plant-based products or those produced by targeted fermentation.
Attractive categories, according to Danone experts, remain yogurts, which have proven their effectiveness to consumers worldwide. There are great prospects in therapeutic nutrition. Currently, the company leads the markets in therapeutic nutrition and products for intestinal health.
Overall, Danone's assortment covers all key stages of a person’s life.
The company outlines several platforms/directions for food products that are attractive both for consumers and for the growth of manufacturing companies:
- daily nutrition and water
- products for healthy child growth
- products for immune health, including for allergy sufferers
- products for intestinal health
- for physical performance and recovery
- for healthy metabolism
- for mental health and brain health
Protein in Trend
An important direction remains dairy products and desserts enriched with protein. According to Danone experts, milk-based products (including food mixtures, powders, dairy drinks, yogurts, and desserts) enriched with protein show more significant growth than the entire foodbev sector. Moreover, yogurts and desserts enriched with protein are growing at double-digit rates.
For example, the Oikos brand, widely distributed in 30 countries around the world, has doubled from 2021 to 2023.
Protein is currently a key growth factor for the yogurt category.
“These are science-based data. Proteins are necessary at all stages of a person’s life and with any lifestyle. Proteins must be obtained daily through diet. Currently, we see promising directions for protein yogurts - products for children, for healthy aging, and products for recovery and performance,” the company noted.
