Frequently Asked Questions

The World Health Organisation defines probiotics as: “live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host” (WHO 2002).

For foods to be called probiotic, they must have the following features:
They must contain a sufficient number of these ‘good’ bacteria that are still alive and active at the end of the shelf-life of the product.
These bacteria must be proven to survive the strong acids in the stomach.
The bacteria within them that cause the probiotic effect must be identified and named as being of a specific type and strain.

Probiotic yogurt drinks and yogurts contain live bacteria which help our health in different ways, depending on the strain of the bacteria and the amount of it in the product that we eat or drink.

Summary:
Probiotics are live micro organisms that when eaten in sufficient amounts should be capable of reaching the intestine alive and conferring a health benefit on the consumer.

In layman's terms:
Probiotics are 'good' or 'friendly' bacteria that contribute to the health and balance of the intestinal tract and thus indirectly to the whole body. They often exist as live cultures that can be found in food, such as certain types of yogurt.

Encyclopedia:
Non digestible oligosaccharides (type of carbohydrate) that support the growth of colonies of certain bacteria in the colon.

Summary:
Substances ingested to promote the growth of probiotic bacteria are called prebiotics.

The cultures or probiotics found in Danone products are added to the products after the product has been pasteurised or heat-treated. If the products were pasteurised with the live cultures and probiotics in the yogurt the live cultures or probiotics would be destroyed during the heat-treatment process. Therefore, addition of the live cultures or probiotics after the pasteurization stage ensures that consumers are gaining the maximum benefit from the products.

Danone UK recommends that all of its dairy products are stored in the refrigerator at below +6°C for no longer than the use by date marked on the product. The quality of the product and the viability of the live micro organisms contained in the product cannot be guaranteed if the product is frozen and eaten after thawing.

As with all additives, sweeteners are thoroughly assessed for safety before they are permitted for use. Additionally, continual investigations are carried out on sweeteners by relevant food authorities and organisations to ensure that their presence in food does not compromise food safety. The use of sweeteners in food is controlled in Great Britain by the Sweeteners in Foods Regulations 1995 (SI 1995 No.3123) as amended.

The sensory profiles of original and sugar free products should be the same. However, some people are more sensitive than others to the taste and mouth feel of sweeteners, but their presence in the product does not affect the flavour from a sensory point of view.

The Food Standards Agency provides guidance on the labelling of a product with "Suitable for vegetarians." It provides that the term ‘vegetarian’ should not be applied to foods that are, or are made from or with the aid of products derived from animals that have died, have been slaughtered, or animals that die as a result of being eaten. Animals means farmed, wild or domestic animals, including for example, livestock poultry, game, fish, shellfish, crustacea, amphibians, tunicates, echinoderms, molluscs and insects. All due care has been taken to ensure that Danone products labelled as "Suitable for vegetarians" follow this guidance. Some ingredients used to enhance colour, for example, cochineal, are not vegetarian and products containing such ingredients will not be labelled as "suitable for vegetarians." Therefore, it is important that vegetarians check product labels before consuming.

Danone understand that food allergies or intolerances can seriously affect the health of certain sensitive people.

Danone take into account both the risks linked to intentional inclusion of allergens and those resulting from the adventitious presence in products, otherwise known as cross contamination.

In order to control the risk, Danone apply a due diligence process based on GMP (good manufacturing practice for its activities), or - in other words – an obligation to use the most appropriate control measures following a prior risk analysis, based on HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point) principles.

Depending on the results obtained from cross contamination risk evaluations in our factories and those of our suppliers, consumers will be informed accordingly on the intentional and possible presence of potentially allergenic ingredients in the products via clear labelling in the form of ingredients lists and positive allergen warnings.

Danone Dairy products contain lactose originating from the milk they are made with.

However, if you are lactose intolerant, you may still be able to eat our dairy products, but you should first consult with your doctor or specialist to make sure.

Our dairy products are not however suitable for those people with milk allergies.

Diabetes is a complex disease - depending on the individuals needs the product could be suitable providing the sugar content is factored into the overall diet. We suggest the consumer discuss it further with their health practitioner or dietician.

GDAs (Guideline Daily Amounts) translate nutrition information into consumer friendly figures. GDAs provide on pack guidelines to help put nutrition information into the context of an overall healthy balanced diet, by showing how much of your GDAs a serving of the food provides.

The term ‘BIO’ was previously used by Danone, and generally well understood when used in the UK, to indicate the presence of a probiotic within dairy products such as live yogurts.

However, it has since been recognised that there is a possibility of confusion arising from the use of the terms in question, given the fact that organic production in other European countries is described by such terms as "biologic" and "ecologic”.

Changes in legislation (2004) therefore precluded the use of such terms as ‘bio’ and ‘eco’ in the labelling and advertising of conventional foodstuffs which are not produced in accordance with conditions set out for organic products.

At Danone, we anticipated the impact of the legislation on our products sold in the UK and started responding to it as early as 2001, gradually changing some of our trade marks. For example, ‘BIO’ became ‘BIOACTIVIA’, then simply ‘ACTIVIA’, in order to keep consumers familiar with the product they enjoy and value.

To summarise, the removal of the word ‘BIO’ was in response to legislation which now reserves the term for organic produce only and we confirm that the formulation has not changed - products previously marketed as ‘BIO’ continue to include probiotics.

Danone produce, in some of our French factories, Activia Muesli which contains nuts.

Neither Activia nor Actimel is better for you. Both products offer different health benefits which target different individuals dependent on your lifestyle.

Actimel is a drinking yogurt which helps support your body’s natural defences when consumed daily as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle.

In contrast, Activia is a yogurt which targets healthy people, who experience slower digestive transit and associated sensations, such as bloating, from time to time, as it improves slower digestive transit when one or two pots are consumed daily as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle.

We are not aware of issues of toxicity for a high level of consumption of Actimel. However you need to factor in the nutritional composition against your daily energy requirements. An extremely high level of consumption could account for more than half the Guideline Daily Amount for calories and more than the total amount of sugar GDA (see packaging for GDA details). Actimel should be consumed as part of a healthy and balanced diet & lifestyle.

Diabetes is a complex disease - depending on the individuals needs the product could be suitable providing the sugar content is factored into the overall diet. We suggest the consumer discuss it further with their health practitioner or dietician.

Actimel is made from fermented cow's milk and therefore is suitable for lacto-vegetarians, but not for vegans. All packaging clearly indicates whether it is suitable or not.

All Actimel products sold in the UK are gluten free and therefore suitable for coeliacs.

Actimel is suitable for pregnant women provided it forms part of a varied and balanced diet.

Actimel is a probiotic drinking yogurt that is scientifically proven to help support your body's defences. Actimel goes to work directly in your digestive tract where about 70% of your immune system is located. A key ingredient in Actimel is the exclusive L.casei Imunitass ® culture. Evidence from studies demonstrates that daily consumption of Actimel helps support your body's defences.

Danone UK recommends that all of its dairy products are stored in the refrigerator at below +6'C for no longer than the use by date marked on the product.

Actimel is a drinking yogurt, so normal household temperatures would tend to kill the live cultures that Actimel contains. As with all chilled food products, we recommend that Actimel is transferred to your fridge as soon as you arrive home from shopping.

The effect of Actimel will be the same whenever it is taken during the day. However, it is suggested to integrate Actimel into your morning breakfast, in order to establish a daily routine.

The bacteria in Actimel are not encapsulated but are living. They contribute to the fermentation of the dairy product during the yogurt production steps, and remain alive during the duration of the products shelf-life.

Diabetes is a complex disease - depending on the individuals needs the product could be suitable providing the sugar content is factored into the overall diet. We suggest the consumer discuss it further with their health practitioner or dietician.

Not all Activia flavours are suitable for vegetarians as some contain cochineal which, despite numerous experiments, we have found no suitable alternative for, which performs favourably in consumer tests whilst retaining the desired hue over shelf life (pigment strengths can be pH dependent). As such, we will continue its use until a suitable alternative presents itself, whilst continuing to inform consumers as to the true nature of our products via labelling compliant with the relevant legislation.

We include the statement 'suitable for vegetarians' adjacent to the ingredients list on products that are suitable for vegetarians, additionally we may employ use of the vegetarian logo as follows:

The Activia Fibre range contains wheat and therefore may not be suitable for coeliacs.

The rest of the Activia range, however, is gluten free

Activia is suitable for pregnant women provided it forms part of a varied and balanced diet.

Not only does Activia offer many of the benefits of a dairy product but it also contains a unique culture, Bifidus Acti Regularis, a probiotic which survives digestion in sufficient quantities to confer a health benefit to the consumer. Activia is scientifically proven to help improve slower digestive transit when one or two pots are eaten every day as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Furthermore, 82% of healthy people with digestive discomfort said they felt better after eating Activia for 2 weeks*.

*Study of 292 consumers in the UK who ate one or two pots of Activia every day for 14 days.

Danone UK recommends that all of its dairy products are stored in the refrigerator at below +6°C for no longer than the use by date marked on the product.

Activia is a yogurt, so normal household temperatures would tend to kill the live cultures that Activia contains. As with all chilled food products, we recommend that Activia is transferred to your fridge as soon as you arrive home from shopping

The effect of Activia should be the same whenever it is taken during the day. However, it is suggested that you should integrate Activia into your daily routine, so having Activia yogurt with your cereal in the morning is a perfect way!

Advertisements that contain claims on products, such as the "scientifically proven" claim on Activia, have been independently assessed by external consultants for the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC). The external consultants assess the validity of scientific data and make recommendations to the BACC for them to either approve/disapprove the advertisement. Danone cannot provide copies of the studies used to support the Activia "scientifically proven" claim due to copyright. The BACC is a specialist body responsible for the pre-transmission examination and clearance of television advertisements.

The nutrition information on the product label indicates the amount of macronutrients and micronutrients contained within 100g of the product and also within a single serving. The Guideline Dietary information, indicated not only on the back of pack, but also now on the front of pack, gives a consumer friendly way for individuals to identify appropriate products for their dietary needs. Products also must include an ingredient list which lists the ingredients which are added to the product by weight at time of manufacturing. This allows for individuals, particularly those with certain allergies, to make an informed decision about whether the product is suitable for them.

Our labels clearly state in the ingredients list if the product has had sugar added to it. We then state in the nutrition information label what the total amount of sugar contained in the product is, this will include sugar which is naturally occurring in other ingredients, for example, fructose in fruit or lactose in dairy products. The Guideline Dietary Amounts provide consumers with a further way to assess the suitability of the product for them as a part of their daily diet. These combined tools are all available on pack for consumers to make informed choices about what they consume on a daily basis before purchasing. The source of sugar in Activia products may come from the combination of milk, added fruit, added sugar and added glucose fructose syrup, as identified on the ingredient list.

The exact source of the sugar is sugar beet. The glucose fructose syrup is derived from wheat but it is not to be labelled as an allergen according to UK Food Regulations and food safety analysis.

Actimel is suitable for pregnant women provided it forms part of a varied and balanced diet.

Although studies were conducted on adult women there is no evidence to suggest that children who experience slower digestive transit from time to time may not benefit from the daily consumption of one or two pots of Activia as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. Note that Activia was not manufactured to meet the specific nutrient requirements of infants and young children aged 0 to 3 years old and therefore it is not recommended that this product is given to them. For more information, we suggest that you contact your doctor or paediatrician.

Each serving contains over 2 g fibre and about 7.9g protein which are both known to increase sensation of satiety, what can be described as lasting satisfaction. It also contains delicious pieces of fruit, which help provide lasting satisfaction.

EFP TM is a unique blend of Effective Fibre and Proteins.

New Shape contains an increased amount of fibre per serving, including 2g of guar gum. Guar gum is derived from the Indian Cluster Bean Cyamopsis tetragonolobus and this amount has been demonstrated to improve satisfaction.

Research has shown that foods higher in protein are also more likely to keep the feeling of fullness.

The protein comes from milk

Shape is not made for diabetics specifically. However we clearly label the calorie and sugar content as part of the nutrition information panel on the packaging and this needs to be taken into account in the dietary management of diabetes.

Most flavours are suitable for vegetarians, these include: Raspberry, Mango, Nectarine and Passion fruit, Cherry and Blackberry.

Yes, Shape LS is suitable for coeliacs.

No specific studies have been undertaken into new Shape during pregnancy. We recommend that you consult your doctor.

Yes Shape contains Aspartame.