Danone unveils plant-based beverage facility to fuel flexitarian trend ahead of Paris Olympics

13 Feb 2024 --- Danone inaugurated a new facility in Villecomtal-sur-Arros, France, developing a new production model and new skills to meet consumer demands. The site’s transformation into a plant-based production hub makes it a new reference point in Europe for the production of oat-based drinks for the Alpro brand.

As a partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the site will be part of the “Danone Champions Tour,” a corporate relay race, highlighting effort to ensure athletes and consumers have access to nutrition through a range of dairy and plant-based products.

Led by CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique, along with French officials and Danone staff, the inauguration highlighted the company’s focus on innovation and sustainability. 

“Making these products in France gives us a unique position in this market,” says Yann Le Roy, operations manager of Danone France.

Promoting flexitarian diets
As a co-chair of The Consumer Goods Forum’s Collaboration for Healthier Lives Coalition, Danone has been promoting the adoption of flexitarian diets throughout France.

According to the company, one-quarter of French people now identify as flexitarian. 

The expansion in plant-based products is fueled by a growing shift to a flexitarian diet due to health and environmental concerns. Right now, businesses need to address consumer needs for affordability, nutrition and quality amid inflation.

Building on the flexitarian trend developing in Europe, Danone is leveraging its expertise to innovate both its dairy and plant-based product lines to meet consumers’ demand for greater variety in their diets.

“Our Alpro brand is committed to dietary diversity and we are working hard to meet demand. Going forward, we aim to raise awareness among France’s population,” says Benjamin Chevallier, country manager of plant-based France at Danone.

Advanced production capabilities
The Villecomtal-sur-Arros plant is equipped with two production lines, with one operating at high speed, enabling it to produce over 300,000 liters of beverages daily for distribution in France and 26 other European markets, with 90% of the total production slated for export.

On a flexitarian diet, you can eat both dairy and dairy alternatives.The site is also home to Danone France’s only oat-flour-to-oat-juice production facility.

“We will be stepping up production of both our oat-based ranges, rich in plant proteins, and our on-the-go formats,” Chevallier remarks.

With the inauguration of Villecomtal-sur-Arros, Danone now has two French and four European sites dedicated to plant-based beverages.

“We’re a multi-local company, which means our strength and our future lie in our employees and our historic presence in local communities,” says Roy.

Through specialized training for its employees in plant processing techniques, the company is ensuring the success of its transformation efforts at the Villecomtal-sur-Arros facility. Course content drew on Danone’s existing expertise, as the company already produces plant-based products in a facility at Issenheim in eastern France. 

Edited by Sichong Wang