Waldemar Buda, Minister of Development and Technology, announced during the Economic Forum in Karpacz that a new Danone factory will be built to produce specialised food, including hospital food. The Danone Group will invest PLN 230 million in its construction.
The investment is to be completed within a year or so. One of Danone’s factories, of which 80% of production is exported, is already operating in Opole.
The general director of the Danone Group in Poland, Paweł Piątek, said at a press conference in Karpacz that Danone has seven factories in Poland. ‘We use local resources, talents, and suppliers. We have calculated that we produce PLN 3.6 billion of added value for our economy’, he added.
In addition, Danone has set up a centre in Poland where 200 IT specialists service all Group companies worldwide. The company also has a think tank, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Analysis and Collaboration “Food for the Future”, which combines the area of health and proper nutrition with concern for the environment and food safety.
Recently, the Danone Group has begun to adapt its products to the changing eating habits of Poles, in whose plant-based products are playing an increasingly important role. Over the past 5 years, the percentage of households in Poland where plant-based products were eaten has nearly tripled. In 2018, it was 11.5%, and by 2022 it was already 31.7%.
In the last year alone, more than 400,000 new households reached for products from this category compared to the previous year. Consumers were most keen to buy drinks and plant-based alternatives to yoghurt, which together generated more than 90% of sales. The most popular variants are oat and almond drinks, together accounting for almost 70% of sales.
“We want to have a positive impact on the nutrition of millions of Poles by offering valuable food that is made with respect for natural resources. That is why we are systematically developing our offer of plant-based products, which are an important element of a balanced diet”, said Marek Sumiła, Managing Director of Danone and Żywiec Zdrój.
Adrian Andrzejewski