Danone’s hallmark spirit of innovation, change and expansion shows in all the funds ploughed back every year into Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I).
Focusing on our key areas of scientific expertise
Health functionalities of raw material
Essential to life, milk and water are the prime ingredients of DANONE products. Some of their intrinsic qualities have already been identified as delivering health benefits: their essential fatty acids content, the diversity of milk proteins, the high fibre and complex carbohydrates content of cereals, the composition and functional benefits of natural water… Identifying other intrinsic qualities and turning them into new health benefits is a crucial area of research for R&D. The potential health benefits of ingredients such as fruit, plants and vegetables are also of great interest to Danone Research.
Ferments and probiotics*
For the last 90 years, DANONE has been building a collection of lactic bacteria strains sampled directly from bio-diversity. Referred to as the Danone “souchothèque” (“bacterialbank”), it contains approximately 3,500 different strains of lactic bacteria. In addition to giving taste and texture, certain ferments have probiotic health properties. Such is the case of the Bifidus DN 173 010 strain, which is used to produce Activia, and the Lactobacillus caséi DN 114 011 strain, which is used to produce Actimel. Only a hundred of these strains have been properly studied and only fifty are currently being used in the Groupe’s products. Therefore the “souchothèque” represents a considerable product innovation potential. R&D has made it a key research area, using state-of-the-art technologies such as genomics and robotics to select the probiotic bacteria of the future.
Human physiology
Defining what constitutes a true health benefit is only possible if one has in-depth knowledge of the physiological functions of the human body. Intestinal flora, the immune and digestive systems, the intestines’ inflammatory processes, the assimilation of lipids and, more broadly, the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates all constitute areas of expertise which are crucial in developing products with new health benefits. *According to the definition of the World Health Organisation, “probiotics are living micro-organisms which, absorbed in sufficient quantities, make a positive contribution to one’s health”.
If you’d like more information about our commitment to R&D, please visit
Group Danone website or download.
The importance of sharing knowledge
With a view to forging closer bonds with customers and offering them assured quality in all our products, every area of the company plays a part in our research work.
Danone’s commitment to health can be seen in two large-scale company organisations that regularly publish comprehensive studies: NUSA, geared towards the everyday work of medical practitioners, and the Danone Institute, which deals with research and public awareness.
Danone Institute Sharing knowledge
Created in 1993 as a non-profit initiative, The Danone Institute is a step forward in our aim to improve the health and quality of life for people through nutrition.
Through scientific, educational research and nutritional knowledge, the Institute is a reference point for health professionals. Furthermore, it stimulates the development of scientific research through the fostering of scholarships, prizes and aids to graduates. Since its conception, it has invested more than 1,300,000 Euros into these initiatives. The Danone Institute also annually organises summer courses at the International University of Menéndez and Pelayo.
Other than its principal functions the Institute also has a free publication of scientific news and advancements, called the ANS magazine (Feeding, Nutrition and Health). This has been published since 1994, with the purpose of informing everyone from professionals and students to researchers. To read more visit www.danoneinstitute.org