Danone Q1 growth lifted by protein, hydration and functional nutrition

Danone’s first quarter made a simple point with unusually broad reach: protein sells best when it travels with another job. High-protein dairy, skyr and kefir helped lift the French group’s €6,708 million in sales, while evian and Mizone in waters and medical nutrition added another layer of momentum that offset weakness elsewhere.

The company said first-quarter sales rose 2.7% on a like-for-like basis, led by volume and mix growth of 1.5% and supported by 1.2% from price. Positive volume and mix came through in every category, a sign that Danone’s health-led portfolio was not leaning on pricing alone. Antoine de Saint-Affrique said the results reflected “the resilience, strength and relevance” of Danone’s health-focused portfolio and pointed directly to the brands doing the work: high protein, skyr and kefir in dairy, evian and Mizone in waters, and medical nutrition around the globe.

That mix matters because it shows how Danone is building around benefits, not just around protein as a standalone claim. High protein drove dairy growth, but hydration and specialized nutrition carried their own weight. For shoppers, that means a drink can be about replenishment, a dairy item can be about recovery or satiety, and a medical nutrition product can sit in the same strategic frame as a mainstream wellness purchase. Danone’s quarter suggested those roles are increasingly intertwined.

The company also said EMEA remained resilient despite an infant milk formula recall and conflict-related logistics disruption in the Middle East, a region that accounts for around 2% to 3% of company sales. That pressure hit a business that still has major scale in vulnerable categories, even as its health-oriented lines kept moving. Danone’s 2025 sales were €27.3 billion, and the group says it is No. 1 worldwide in fresh dairy products and plant-based foods and beverages, No. 2 in packaged waters and No. 4 in adult medical nutrition.

Danone has kept leaning into that structure. On March 23, 2026, it announced a definitive agreement to acquire Huel, a move meant to strengthen its position in functional nutrition and extend into Complete Nutrition. After a first quarter like this one, the logic is clear: the next wave of growth in dairy and drinks is being built product by product, around use case by use case, not by protein alone.