Alpro facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | May 27, 1980 |
| Founder | Vandemoortele Groep |
| Headquarters |
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Belgium
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Key people
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Sue Garfitt (CEO) |
| Products |
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Number of employees
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1,100 (2017) |
| Parent | Danone |
Alpro is a European company based in Ghent, Belgium. They make many different plant-based foods and drinks. These products are made from plants like soy, almonds, hazelnuts, cashew, rice, oats, or coconut. Alpro's products are often organic and do not use genetically modified ingredients. The company has over 1,200 employees across Europe. They have three main production factories in Belgium, France, and the United Kingdom. Alpro sells its products mainly in Europe, but also in other parts of the world.
Contents
Alpro's Story: How It Grew
Alpro started in 1980. It was first part of a Belgian company called Vandemoortele Groep. Alpro quickly grew across Europe. In 2000, they built a special factory in England to make soy milk.
In 2006, Alpro introduced a "reduced calorie soya milk." Two years later, in 2008, they launched the first "reduced calorie soya alternative to yogurt" in the UK. Alpro's sales grew a lot during this time. Between 2000 and 2008, their income tripled! By 2009, drinks made up two-thirds of all Alpro's sales.
Changes in Ownership
In June 2009, Vandemoortele sold Alpro to an American company called Dean Foods. Dean Foods was known for its "Silk" soy milk brand in the United States.
Later, in June 2013, a part of Dean Foods called WhiteWave became its own independent company. WhiteWave then managed Alpro. WhiteWave's shares were even traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Dean Foods sold its remaining shares in WhiteWave in July 2013. This meant Dean Foods was no longer involved with Alpro.
In July 2016, a big French company named Danone announced it would buy WhiteWave Foods. This deal was completed in April 2017. The new combined company was named "DanoneWave."
In 2020, Alpro's No Sugars oat milk won a special award called the Lausanne Index Prize – Supreme Award. This is a top prize for processed foods. Today, Sue Garfitt is the general manager of Alpro.
What Alpro Makes: Plant-Based Goodness
Alpro makes many different plant-based products. These are often called vegan products. Some of their brands include Belsoy, Alpro Soya, and Provamel.
Their products include:
- Soya milk
- Soy yogurt
- Soya cream
- Soya-based desserts
- Plant-based margarines
- Plant-based ice cream
All these products are made from plants. They use non-genetically modified (non-GM) soy, almonds, hazelnuts, cashew, rice, oats, or coconut.
Provamel: Organic Choices
The Provamel brand is special. It is only used for organic products. Many of these are organic versions of the regular Alpro Soya products. Provamel items are usually sold in independent health food stores.
In Germany, a leading consumer safety group called Stiftung Warentest tested many plain soy milks. Alpro soya milk was rated the best out of 16 different brands!
Alpro also makes other items like yogurts and "dessert and meat alternative products."
Alpro uses different ways to show people their milk and yogurt alternatives. For example, they once ran a year-long campaign in the UK. During this time, people could try Alpro's breakfast products at various events and shopping centres.
Alpro also encouraged visitors to take photos at their internet stand. People could then upload these photos to Facebook. This helped more people find and join the Alpro Soya Facebook page. It was a fun way to connect with customers!
See also
In Spanish: Alpro para niños
