This includes granting access to its current collection of 193 lactic and bifidobacteria ferment strains deposited at the National Collection of Cultures of Microorganisms, held in the Biological Resource Center of Institut Pasteur (CRBIP).

Danone will also open its collection of over 1,600 strains at its Research & Innovation center in Paris- Saclay to researchers around the world, with the aim of sharing Danone’s legacy for the benefit of all.

The company says that the announcement furthers Danone’s commitment to promoting open science, a movement toward openness in scientific research, sharing and development of knowledge through collaborative networks. It also contributes to delivering on Danone’s 2030 Goals, and, most importantly, the company’s objective to serve the food revolution with partners.

The announcement was welcomed by the Institut Pasteur, the internationally renowned center for biomedical research set up by Louis Pasteur in 1887, today a world-leading global research center with a network of 32 institutes throughout the world.

The first Danone yogurt was made in Barcelona in 1919 by Isaac Carasso, who was inspired by the immunologist Elie Metchnikoff’s research at the Institut Pasteur into the role of ferments in gut and overall health. Faced with the poor gut health affecting Barcelona’s children, Isaac was moved to act, and began selling his first yogurts fermented with lactic ferments in Barcelona’s pharmacies. Over the years, through research and innovation and collaboration with international researchers, Danone has built a ferment collection of high genetic diversity.

Lactic and bifidobacteria ferments – special bacteria which can, for example, be used to produce yogurts and fermented milks – may have a range of additional uses, for both food and non-food applications, many of which have not been fully explored or utilised to date. They could potentially help address a series of health, societal and environmental challenges including:

- Increasing the diversity of natural fermented food products, and developing higher value-added dairy products to secure a greater revenue stream for farmers;

- Reducing crop and food losses, by preventing the growth of fungi, bacteria and viruses on crops, as well as on harvested and stored food;

- Protecting and regenerating soil;

- Mitigating methane emissions from cows;

- Reducing antibiotic use and the spread of antibiotic resistance, in both animals and humans;

- Developing easier methods to deliver drugs or vaccines to humans.

Speaking at a two-day event celebrating Danone’s 100 years with partners and thought-leaders in the food, health and sustainability space, Danone’s Chairman & CEO Emmanuel Faber said: “As part of our commitment to meet people’s needs, we have continuously invested over the past century to build Danone’s expertise in ferments, fermentation and health through food. At a time when our food system and society face a range of unprecedented challenges, we are proud to open our unique collection of strains to the world’s researchers to help us progress towards a healthier and more sustainable world.”