Danone invests €12m to expand plant-based production at Spanish site

Danone has invested €12 million in a new plant-based production line at its Parets del Vallès factory, near Barcelona, which will produce coconut and oat-based products.

As a result of the new line, Parets del Vallès will become Danone’s first hybrid factory that produces both dairy yogurts and plant-based alternatives.

The new line is dedicated exclusively to the manufacture of coconut and oat-based products under the company’s Alpro, Activia and Oikos brands for both local and international markets.

The investment forms part of Danone’s commitment to reinvest itself and become a “local-first company”, as it continues to strengthen its plant-based business and offer more and better alternatives. Earlier this month, the company agreed to acquire Earth Island, maker of the dairy-free Follow Your Heart range.

“Our commitment is bringing health through nutrition and hydration to as many people as possible. And we do this by driving the food revolution with innovation as the main force of transformation, both in our products and in our operations,” said Paolo Tafuri, CEO of Danone Spain.

“Answering the new food trends, such as flexitarianism, brings us closer every day to our ambition to offer a healthy, sustainable and inclusive food choices,” he concluded.

Danone says the investment will result in 12 new positions, joining the current 181 employees at the 52,000 square-metre facility.

To date, Danone operates four production centres in Spain: Parets (province of Barcelona), Aldaia (Valencia), Salas (Asturias) and Tres Cantos (Madrid).

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