How Danone’s yogurt taps into consumer demand for ‘benefit stacking’

When it comes to the health benefits of food, the more the better.

As consumers seek out offerings that do more than alleviate hunger, food companies are loading products with benefits such as protein or fiber, low sugar or solutions that improve gut health. 

Shoppers are following more of these and similar eating behaviors than ever before, prompting manufacturers to include, or stack, more of them into a single product. The initiative not only brings perceived added health benefits but it also allows companies to charge more because of the premium value these products are seen to bring. 

Few sectors in the food space are benefiting from this trend than yogurt.

Danone, the world’s largest yogurt company, has cultivated a “nutrient-dense” portfolio that’s positioned it to meet different functional needs. The dairy giant’s holdings include Oikos for protein, Too Good & Co. for low sugar and Light & Fit for low calories.  

Rafael Acevedo, president of yogurt at Danone North America, spoke with Food Dive about the evolution and future of “benefit stacking,” plus the role the trend plays in the company’s portfolio. The interview, which was conducted via email, has been edited for brevity and clarity.

FOOD DIVE: What are you seeing with benefit stacking in 2025? 

RAFAEL ACEVEDO: As we enter 2025, consumer expectations when it comes to food and beverages are high — and demand for nutritious food is growing. In fact, research shows that when it comes to wellness, consumers see food choices as a top driver — even outranking sleep and fitness. Consumers are increasingly aware of how everyday choices in their eating and drinking (specifically when snacking, which is on the rise with 74% of Americans snacking at least once per day!) can benefit them in the short term and over their lifetimes.

With these macro shifts, consumers are seeking out products that have specific health and functional benefits. We know spaces like gut health, high-quality protein, and sugar reduction are popular right now — and consumers are stacking them to maximize the benefits they get from each food they eat. 

In 2025, I believe this trend will sustain, making it critical we understand consumer needs in light of other health trends and movements, for example — the rise of weight loss drugs.

Why are we seeing a jump in benefit stacking?

ACEVEDO: 

• Awareness and education: Increased access to information about nutrition and health has made consumers more knowledgeable about the benefits of certain foods. People are seeing a greater connection between the foods they eat and their impact on overall health.
• Disease Prevention: With rising awareness about the role of their diets in preventing diseases, consumers are turning to functional foods to not only treat but also prevent diet-related diseases. For example, because of a petition submitted by Danone North America, the FDA released its first-ever qualified health claim for yogurt in 2024, recognizing the potential link between its regular consumption and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. This is one of the many ways we have used science and research to meet consumer needs.
• Aging Population: The number of Americans ages 65+ is projected to increase from 58 million in 2022 to 82 million by 2050. With this increase, there is a growing demand for foods that help address age-related issues, such as skin health and bone health.

What type of benefits are consumers looking to stack? 

ACEVEDO: More and more, consumers want to understand the science behind the benefits being marketed to them. Danone is well-poised to do that — we leverage our decades of nutrition science leadership, nutrient-dense portfolio, and role in spaces like protein, biotics, and gut health to design the food benefits of the future. Specifically: 

• Gut health, high protein, low sugar, and longevity are some of the biggest areas where we are seeing consumers benefit stacking right now.
• Specifically, protein is on fire with more consumers every day realizing the benefits — online searches for protein are at a five-year all-time high.
• Continued awareness of how complex, interconnected, and important the gut/microbiome is to long-term health will keep consumers seeking out products with gut health benefits in 2025.

How has benefit stacking impacted Danone’s product mix? 

ACEVEDO: As a company with one of the most nutrient-dense portfolios in the industry, Danone is well-poised to respond to the demand for specific benefits. Our research and innovation capabilities and decades of nutrition science leadership, paired with partnerships, education and advocacy are helping us to design food innovations that meet the needs of today’s (and tomorrow’s) consumers. We are leveraging leading technologies and ingredients to bring benefit-driven solutions to the categories we play in, whether it be yogurt, plant-based, coffee or baby nutrition.

For example, our high-protein offerings — in particular, our Oikos brand — have allowed us to lead and shape the future of the protein space, which has only expanded amid the rise of GLP-1 medication use. … We are continuing to innovate to introduce new products into our mix that meet this trend and consumer demands in 2025 and beyond.

Are you planning on launching products in 2025 in response to benefit stacking? 

ACEVEDO: Yes! In Q4 2024, we expanded our line of zero sugar offerings with Too Good & Co. Zero Sugar — a first for this brand. Zero sugar is one of the most exciting pockets of growth in the food space right now. While this product launched in 2024, we are expanding its distribution to even more retailers in 2025.

We are also studying the nutritional needs of GLP-1 medication users very closely and exploring new product offerings for 2025 and beyond that will meet the needs of those users. 

Which of your products have benefited the most from stacking?

ACEVEDO: So many products are benefiting (no pun intended), but the yogurt category in particular is well-positioned to meet consumer’s desire for benefits, given it’s such a versatile food with so much potential. Regardless of the category, Danone has leveraged our science capabilities to develop products that meet so many of the latest functional benefit spaces.