SOFI 2026: Danone targets affordable nutrition amid rising inflation
Key takeaways
- Danone says that affordability is central to nutrition access as inflation squeezes household food budgets.
- The company says healthier products make up 88% of its global portfolio, with new 2030 targets guaranteeing access across income groups.
- Danone plans 14 million iron and anemia screenings by 2030 and is extending sugar-reduction targets from children’s products to adults.
The 2026 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report underscores the urgent need to close the hunger gap, which, although it is slightly easing globally, is under threat from the unaffordability of healthy diets, conflicts, El Niño, and other climate shocks.
Nutrition Insight speaks with Danone to explore an industry perspective on this issue and what more needs to be done to support global health and nutrition goals.
“As inflation continues to put pressure on household budgets, affordability is becoming an increasingly important consideration for many families,” notes a spokesperson at the company. “Consumers are looking for products that deliver both nutritional value and good value for money.”
“At Danone, making healthy food and beverages affordable and accessible is central to our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible. We work to understand local nutrition needs, support our brands with market insights, and develop distribution models that help make healthier products accessible to more people.”
Improving accessibility
To support the accessibility of healthier options during prolonged inflation and supply chain shocks, Danone is taking steps to understand how nutrition varies across regions, says the spokesperson.
“Our efforts include monitoring consumption and pricing dynamics and developing distribution models that improve access to healthier products.”
“Importantly, our new 2030 Health Through Food targets include a dedicated commitment to guarantee access to healthier products across income groups, helping ensure that the most widely available products are also among the healthiest. By 2030, we aim to have at least 80% of top-distributed stock-keeping units (SKUs) achieving a Health Star Rating of 3.5 or above.”
Health Star Ratings assess a product’s healthiness out of a possible five stars.
The company also aims to reach 14 million screenings for iron status and anemia from this year to the end of 2030, while reaching eight active projects to screen disease-related malnutrition by the end of 2030.
Danone’s 2030 Health Through Food targets include a commitment to guarantee access to healthier products across income groups.Furthermore, Danone aims to extend sugar reduction targets from Aquadrinks and Danonino children’s products to adults. It will cap the total sugar content by 10 g or less per 100 g for 88% of dairy and plant-based products for children (aged three to 12) and for adults.
Reducing hunger levels
The SOFI report also indicates slow progress toward the Zero Hunger goal by 2030. To this trend, the spokesperson responds that there is no single solution that companies can target; it instead requires a multifaceted tactic.
“Product innovation, affordability, distribution, and education all have an important role to play in tackling hunger, and the industry needs to work together alongside governments, public health institutions, and other stakeholders.”
“Through our Danone Impact Journey, we combine our brands, scientific expertise, and partnerships to help make healthier food choices more accessible while supporting more resilient food systems.” This approach is supported by three main pillars: health, nature, and people and communities.
Nutrition Insight recently spoke with Action Against Hunger to discuss the SOFI findings and unveil what actions are now required. It suggested: “Companies can engage their employees in skills-based volunteering and fundraising and use their voice to spotlight hunger as a pressing global issue to create more innovative, scalable, and sustainable solutions.”
Science-based approach
When Danone reformulates or designs products for affordability, it takes a science-based approach while focusing on efficient sourcing, production, and packaging. The spokesperson adds: “Affordability should never come at the expense of nutritional quality.”
“Healthier products make up 88% of Danone’s global portfolio, reflecting our commitment to help make healthier choices available to more people.”
“We apply the same clear nutritional targets across our entire portfolio, regardless of geography, population, or income level. We intentionally develop products and special formats for communities, without compromising on consumer preferences and nutritional standards.”
