Danone North America, the world’s largest Certified B Corporation, today announces it will acquire 100% of the shares of Earth Island, producer of Follow Your Heart, a US leader of dairy alternatives and maker of the iconic egg-free mayonnaise Vegenaise. The new partnership takes place as part of Danone’s goal to reach €5 billion in plant-based sales by 2025.
Follow Your Heart products are also established in the UK and have been available in small retailers for several years, before rolling out into Tesco, the UK’s biggest retailer, last summer. Through its acquisition, the brand will able to accelerate further growth both within the US and internationally, joining Danone’s existing plant-based brands such as Alpro, Silk and So Delicious Dairy Free.
Follow Your Heart began as a seven-seat sandwich & juice bar in 1970, in California’s San Fernando Valley – in an interview with vegconomist last July, Vice President of Product & Marketing Katie Franklin spoke about the brand’s journey and how Follow Your Heart Co-Founder Bob Goldberg took to his own kitchen to create the first version of Vegenaise back in the 1970’s. Earth Island’s extensive plant-based portfolio now includes shredded and sliced plant-based cheese, grated and shredded plant-based parmesan, cream cheese alternatives, plant-based sour cream, salad dressings, and VeganEgg, as well as the Vegenaise which has since become a household staple for vegans across the States.
“Our mission has always been to produce the best plant-based food products and to make them available to as many people as possible,” said Bob Goldberg, co-founder and CEO of Earth Island®. “We’re very pleased to be joining the Danone family of plant-based companies in a collective effort to bring positive change in the world through the creation of sustainably and responsibly-made foods.”