Danone UK & Ireland secures B Corp certification

19-Jan-2022 - Last updated on 25-Jan-2022 at 16:17 GMT

Danone Specialised Nutrition produces Nutricia, Aptamil and Cow & Gate

Danone UK & Ireland has acquired B Corp certification, claiming to be the first combined food and healthcare manufacturer in the UK and Ireland to do so, following accreditation of its Specialised Nutrition business.

The accreditation meant that all of Danone’s operations in the UK and Ireland are now B Corp certified, as verified by non-profit B Lab.

President James Mayer said the accreditation of Danone’s Specialised Nutrition business was a key milestone for the business.

“There has never been a more critical time for greater action from responsible businesses," he added. "And more than ever, people want to buy from, work for, invest in and partner with businesses they trust to make a positive impact."

B Corp movement

“Being part of the B Corp movement helps to accelerate collective progress to tackle the social and environmental issues we face. As one of the largest B Corps in the UK and Ireland, we will continue to do more to meet the needs of people and the planet.”

B Corp Certification requires businesses to assess their practices across five impact areas: governance, workers, environment, community and customers.

The assessment of Danone Specialised Nutrition recognised its 'progressive environmental and social practices', resulting in a score of 90.2 across all operations, including manufacturing.

In its journey to B Corp certification, Danone achieved a number of firsts in the food and drink industry.

Industry firsts

Danone’s Wexford and Macroom sites were the first baby formula factories to be B Corp certified in the UK & Ireland, while its Liverpool factory is also the first medical nutrition factory to be certified in the region.

Other actions that contributed to its certification included being a founding member of WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact, and giving employees unlimited volunteering time – employees spent 1,400 hours volunteering in 2020.

Gustavo Hildenbrand, senior vice president of Specialised Nutrition for Danone UK & Ireland said: “We’re incredibly proud to have this recognised through B Corp certification – the culmination of a lot of hard work by employees across all levels.

“Our factories becoming B Corp certified is a significant achievement, and one we hope will inspire other companies and manufacturing sites to engage with the B Corp values and join the community of like-minded businesses.”

Meanwhile, food manufacturers have a 'huge' opportunity as sales of sustainable food products are growing seven times that of those that are not sustainable, Ethan Soloviev, chief innovation Officer at HowGood, has revealed.