Danone strikes deal with plant-based infant-formula company Else Nutrition

French dairy giant Danone has agreed to collaborate with Else Nutrition, a supplier of plant-based infant-formula products in Canada.

Vancouver-headquartered Else said in a statement that the two companies had signed a letter of intent providing for a “multi-stage collaboration, subject to the finalisation of certain commercial terms”, following Danone having completed extensive due diligence.

The Canadian company added the first stage of the project will see the businesses enter into a license agreement whereby Else’s products will be included in Danone’s specialised nutrition portfolio and manufactured, marketed and commercialised by the French dairy major.

When questioned by Just Food, an Else spokesperson said: “Danone will produce the products it will commercialise in Europe initially but there is potential for expansion into other markets.”

Else, founded in Israel in 2018 by veterans of the infant-formula industry, entered the European market this month with a UK launch. CEO Hamutal Yitzhak said “the UK represents our first entry into the lucrative European market and we expect to enter additional European countries in the near term”.

He added: “Moreover, Europe is an ideal market for our products given consumer preferences and trends towards healthy and nutritious plant-based options, especially for their children.”

Just Food