The Danone plant in Parets del Vallès (Barcelona) is celebrating its 40^th anniversary in 2022, and it will be the only hybrid plant in Europe, after receiving an investment of 16 million euros to enable it to manufacture plant-based alternatives in addition to dairy products. This innovation makes the Catalan facility a benchmark for the entire group.

The move to combine the production of both alternatives comes at a time when plant-based products have shown they're here to stay in the market without displacing dairy products. With clear growth guaranteeing the future of both options, the French company has decided to help them coexist. Up to 132 different products are produced in this way on the production lines in Parets.

Commitment since 2021
The first investment, worth 12 million euros, was made in 2021 with the aim of creating a production line for plant-based alternatives to yoghurt (coconut and oat-based. It has been supplemented this year by a further 4 million euros for another line, this time soya-based. After its start-up, plant-based products now make up 15% of the plant's production.

According to the company's data, Spain is the third largest European market for plant-based beverages and one of the five largest for yoghurt alternatives. But the Parets plant does not only manufacture for Spain. 23% of its production is exported to countries all over Europe, with the main destinations for imports being Portugal, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Value-added projects
For Danone Iberia's Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, Laia Mas, "leading in categories that are in a stage of full expansion is the result of constantly improving our production centres to maintain the level that our clients and consumers demand of us". In the case of Parets, she explained, "it has served as a lab to test and promote projects with added value, which have allowed the Danone of the 21^st century to be much more than dairy products, and to consolidate the healthiest food portfolio in the FMCG industry".

The Operations Director for Danone Iberia, Víctor Sales, added that the Barcelona plant has a 100% robotised warehouse that "is part of the company's pilot initiative, and which has involved an investment of around 6.7 million euros".

Food quality and safety
Over 700 analyses are carried out at the Parets facilities every day to ensure the quality and food safety of its products. This is in addition to some 5,000 specific checks each year in the area of plant-based products, which are kept separate from the dairy area to avoid contamination.

In terms of sustainability, the plant recovers 100% of the plastic waste generated and puts it to new uses, as well as consuming electricity from renewable sources and working to optimise water use. In addition, all the milk used in its products is of local and Spanish origin.

^{Photo: Danone}