Leading Food Company Whose Fortune Was Built on Dairy Invests $60 Million to Expand Vegan Offerings

Danone continues to make waves in the plant-based food space! Earlier this year, Danone acquired WhiteWave Foods for $12.5 billion, stating that this move was largely motivated by their interest in WhiteWave’s huge dairy-free brands. Some of WhiteWave’s brands include Silk and So Delicious, the makers of dairy-free ice cream, yogurt, creamers, and other products. Danone also invested in a multi-million dollar branding campaign this year for So Delicious which includes the new tagline, “Nothing Compares” – pretty significant for a company that also supports a number of dairy brands.

And now DanoneWave, the combined businesses of Danone and WhiteWave, will invest $60 million dollars in an effort to expand their plant-based beverages. The investment will go towards their plant-based beverage manufacturing operations at their Mount Crawford, Virginia facility, according to Dairy Reporter, which is used by vegan brand Silk. The facility was formerly a WhiteWave production plant and now with the investment, the company will add production capacity, as well as expand the existing warehouse.

Danone’s $60 million dollar investment into their plant-based beverages is yet another sign that the future of food is plant-based. The plant-based milk market is set to reach $16.3 billion in 2018, with Danone recently reporting a profit of $760 million dollars thanks to their dairy-free brands. It seems like Danone clearly understands that investing in plant-based, vegan, and dairy-free alternatives is not only a smart move but a necessary one for food companies that want to stay in touch with consumer needs and trends.

To learn more about the impact of our food choices as well as trends and developments in the plant-based food space, check out our podcast #EatForThePlanet with Nil Zacharias.

Image Source: Silk/Facebook