04.01.04
Groupe Danone, Paris, France, and Yakult Honsha, Tokyo, Japan, have entered into an agreement to form a strategic alliance with a goal of strengthening their global presence in probiotics and further accelerate the growth of both companies in the functional food and beverage market. As part of the agreement, Groupe Danone will nominate two candidates to Yakult’s board of directors, while Yakult will nominate one candidate to the board of directors of Groupe Danone. Yakult and Groupe Danone will also jointly establish a permanent liaison office. This liaison office will identify specific areas of collaboration focusing initially in the area of probiotics outside of Japan, and be responsible for the facilitation of joint projects, such as cooperation in R&D, entry into new markets and other business projects, which create value for both parties. Lastly, Groupe Danone and Yakult will create a Global Probiotics Council that will advance the cause of probiotics with all relevant interest groups, such as consumers, regulatory authorities and the scientific community.