FRANCE – Danone CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique has refuted claims that the French food company is considering a sale of one or more of its divisions.
In remarks made at the company’s AGM of the French giant, de Saint-Affrique, said: “The categories in which we operate are growing and they are because they are in line with the expectations of our consumers.
And I say to all our categories’. You will understand that, whatever the rumors of any kind say, we have no intention of parting with them.”
This comes after French peer Lactalis was rumored to be considering buying either a business unit or the entire Danone business.
In the first quarter of 2022, Danone saw its net sales rise by 7.1% to 6.23bn euros (US$6.74bn), compared with consensus expectations among analysts of a 5.5% rise.
Growth was broad-based across geographies and categories, according to company Chief Finance Officer Juergen Esser.
Danone’s dairy plant-based division rose 3.6% while the company’s specialized nutrition arm, which houses infant formula, saw LFL sales increase by 9.5%.
Sales from Danone’s bottled water unit reported a near 16% jump in like-for-like sales as it lapped the Covid-19 lockdowns of early 2021.
At the shareholder’s meeting, Franck Riboud, a former group chairman and CEO and son of Danone’s founder, Antoine Riboud, officially stepped down as a board member after 30 years and he is staying on as honorary chairman.
Danone launches new sustainable packaging for its products
Earlier, Danone partnered with Amcor Rigid Packaging (ARP) to launch what it calls a 100 percent recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle for the Villavicencio water brand in Argentina.
Danone procurement director, Pablo Colombo said, “If the environment is healthy, we are too. So, in addition to serving our customers with high-quality products, we must do the same for our planet.
The alliance with Amcor has allowed us to take another step in our commitment to sustainability, creating a bottle that, in addition to being 100 percent recyclable, has a lower carbon footprint.”
The new bottle is made from 100 percent recycled content, has a carbon footprint reduced by 21% compared to the previous bottle, and is a label-less bottle.
The bottle is being made using top-quality materials, helping to ensure the safety of the container and the consumer in the process, while with the help of the consumer, will become another bottle once recycled.
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