Agriculture
Danone purchases Australian Dairy Firm MADE Group
Danone has agreed to acquire Australian food and beverage manufacturer MADE Group, adding brands including Rokeby Farms and Cocobella. The deal strengthens Danone's nutrition business across Asia-Pacific and follows broader investment in protein and health-focused food categories. Financial terms were not disclosed.
French food business Danone will gain a suite of nutrition and beverage brand with the purchase of Australian food manufacturer MADE Group.
Under the June 22 terms, Danone will acquire MADE Group on the condition that certain regulatory and other closing procedures are met. Details were not provided.
The deal will inject MADE’s protein dairy drink portfolio in Rokeby Farms, as well as coconut water in Cocobella, into Danone.
Since it’s creation, MADE Group has focused it’s product offering within specific nutrition and beverage categories: protein, dairy, and plants, categories that the world market has increasingly begun to embrace in developed countries.
Australia takes a growing role in Danone’s operations
This purchase comes just after Danone decided to buy out the remaining share of Saputo’s Australian fresh dairy operation, adding to Danone’s operations in both New Zealand and Australia. Local dairy businesses have continued to attract significant investment from overseas in food and beverage products with a focus on health.
Last year the Australia dairy industry saw its 2024-2025 exports reach a figure higher than A$4 billion, demonstrating the importance of its dairy industry to other countries and the wider region, says Dairy Australia.
The largest part of Danone’s $31.5 billion-worth sales in 2025, coming from over 120 countries of origin, have been in specialized nutrition, protein drinks and plant-based drinks.
Shifting Demands Redefine Nutritional Products
With the move on Made, only the second time Danone bought other businesses this year to acquire nutritional food companies, first was the move to gain Huel, UK’s largest nutritional food producers.
As an international food market, Asia Pacific, the market of China, Japan, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia… have become global drivers for high protein food and other health drinks with many recent reports indicating increases.
By making a purchase in Australia, Danone aims to establish greater clout and a leading presence in the region for health driven food products in a world that has a increasing appetite. Danone have not specified any timelines for the completion of the purchase.
Source: Bloomberg
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