Danone buys Belgian biotics firm The Akkermansia Company

Danone has acquired The Akkermansia Company, a Belgian firm specialising in biotics, for an undisclosed sum, Just Food reports.

In a statement, the owner of yogurt brand Activia said “expanding deeper into gut health is a key facet” of its corporate growth plans.

Founded as a spin-off from UCLouvain in Belgium and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, The Akkermansia Company discovered and developed the biotic strain Akkermansia muciniphila MucT in 2004.

Danone said the strain has been clinically demonstrated to reinforce the gut barrier, reduce inflammation and address metabolic disorders such as obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The French food and drinks giant declined to expand on the reasons for the acquisition when approached by Just Food.

In a separate statement, The Akkermansia Company said it holds “broad patents” for the use of the Akkermansia species, including its pasteurised form, MucT, “which is its most bio-efficacious form”.

CEO Michael Oredsson said the deal offers the company “the resources to accelerate global growth of the pasteurised Akkermansia muciniphila MucT strain and develop our brands faster”.

Since its market debut in Belgium in 2021, The Akkermansia Company has expanded sales of Akkermansia muciniphila MucT into Europe, North America, and Asia.

Among the elements of the group’s business is supplement products. According to the company’s website, it sells a postbiotic supplement for $69.95 that “promotes weight management” and “supports a healthy gut”.

Gut health is a component of Danone’s Essential Dairy & Plant-Based (EDP) portfolio, which also includes plant-based milk alternatives brands like International Delight and Silk.

In Danone’s 2024 annual report, released earlier this week, CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique said the group has started building the “Danone of tomorrow”, as part of the Renew strategy drawn up in 2022 to drive profitable growth.

The plan, Saint-Affrique said, includes “gradually pivoting the way we address our categories: including high protein and gut health” and “further expanding our geographic footprint”.

In 2024, 49.2% of Danone’s net sales, amounting to €13.36bn ($15.64bn) of the €27.37bn total, came from EDP products.

The French group in its annual report said it will “continue to invest in research and contribute to the scientific field to demonstrate how nutrition can impact health from early life to aging, with a key focus on gut health”.

The acquisition of The Akkermansia Company follows Danone’s attempts to acquire all shares in Lifeway Foods, where it holds a 23% stake since 1999.

Lifeway Foods, based in the US, produces probiotic-rich products also emphasising gut health. It has so far turned down to Danone’s offers to acquire the rest of the business, arguing the bids under-value the company.