In preparation for the July 1st deadline for Vermont’s labeling law, Dannon is making huge changes to their source ingredients. The Vermont law will require labeling on any genetically modified (GMO) for product sold in the state.
Danon, the nations leading yogurt maker, is attempting to switch to more natural ingredients. Their three yogurt brans, Dannon, Oikos and Danimals, represent 50 percent of their profits.
The most important ingredient that will be affected is a huge one – milk. The company made an official announcement last week:
For the company’s foundation ingredient—milk—Dannon is going one big step further. Starting in 2017 and completing the transformation by the end of 2018, Dannon will work with its farmer partners to ensure that the cows that supply Dannon’s milk for these flagship products will be fed non-GMO feed, a first for a leading non-organic yogurt maker.
Additionally, Dannon will be working with their source farmers on following company wide procedures for animal welfare and soil standards.
Thanks @NYTimes for recognition of what we’ve done and what’s to come on sustainable agriculture & more here @Dannon https://t.co/x0XyiQRR9a
— The Dannon Company (@Dannon) April 27, 2016
According to Mariano Lozano, chief executive of the company, “For the last many decades, we’ve had a system that encourages short-term efficiencies at the expense of soil health, animal welfare and biodiversity. We want to play a part in changing that system.”
In the coming years Dannon will also make changes to its other product lines in an effort to “increase transparency” and “evolve more natural and fewer ingredients for flagship brands.”
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