DANNON PLEDGES TO IMPROVE NUTRITION PROFILE OF YOGURT

Published March 14, 2014 in Food Product Design

Posted in News, Nutrition, Diet, Obesity, Weight Management, Vitamins / Minerals, Vitamin D, Calcium,Healthy, Healthy Foods, Children, Dairy, Yogurt, Frozen / Refrigerated Foods, Refrigerated Foods,Fats/Oils, Low Fat, Sweeteners, Sugar, Sucrose, Calorie, Calorie Reduction, Fat Reduction

WASHINGTON—The Dannon Company today announced a four-part commitment to further improve the nutrition profile of its yogurt products by 2016 through a combination of introducing new innovations and reformulating existing products.

The announcement was made in conjunction with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) at the 2014 Building a Healthier Future Summit. PHA works with the private sector and PHA Honorary Chair First Lady Michelle Obama to help end the childhood obesity crisis.

Specifically, the company pledged to improve the nutrient density by 10% of the Dannon product portfolio overall by increasing nutrients that are encouraged in the diet, like vitamin D, and decreasing total sugar and fat; reduce the amount of total sugar in Dannon products to 23 grams or less (per 6-ounce serving) in 100% of products for children and 70% of the company's products overall; reduce the amount of fat in Dannon products so 75% of products will be low-fat or fat-free; and invest $3 million in nutrition education and research focused on healthy eating habits.

Dannon’s commitment goals are based on the latest nutrition science and authoritative guidance from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) that recommend Americans consume more nutrient dense foods, like yogurt.

“We applaud Mrs. Obama and Partnership for a Healthier America for their commitment to the health and future of our children and adults," said Dannon’s President and CEO Mariano Lozano. “As the largest maker of yogurt in the United States today, it’s a privilege and a responsibility to continually improve the cultured dairy foods we carefully prepare every day for the millions of families who enjoy our products. Dannon’s commitment to Partnership for a Healthier America represents another big step in our journey to help address the issue of obesity in America."

To achieve the 2016 goal, recipe developers and other experts at Dannon will build on their achievements from last year's reformulation of the company's children’s product, Danimals® smoothies, in which the company reduced sugar by 25% while maintaining great taste, texture and convenience. Dannon’s new introduction of a Greek yogurt, Danimals SuperStars, specifically designed for the preferences and nutritional needs of kids, already meets the strict criteria announced today.

Sources:

• Dannon: The Dannon Company Commits To Further Improve Nutrition Profile Of Its Yogurt With Partnership for a Healthier America