Lactalis facts for kids
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Trade name
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Lactalis |
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Formerly
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Besnier S.A. |
| Private | |
| Industry | Dairy products |
| Founded | 19 October 1933 |
| Founder | André Besnier |
| Headquarters |
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France
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Emmanuel Besnier (CEO) |
| Products | Cheese, butter, milk |
| Revenue |  €29.5 billion (2023) |
| €428 million (2023) |
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| Owner | Besnier family via Belgian holding company BSA International SA |
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Number of employees
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85,000 |
| Subsidiaries | Lactalis-Nestlé Fresh Products Lactalis Nestle Chilled Dairy Co. Ltd. Kraft Natural Cheese Siggi's Dairy Stonyfield Farm |
Groupe Lactalis S.A., known simply as Lactalis, is a very large French company that makes dairy products. It is owned by the Besnier family and has its main office in Laval, France. Lactalis is the biggest dairy products company in the world. It is also the second largest food company in France, after Danone.
Lactalis owns many well-known brands. Some of these include Parmalat, Président, Kraft Natural Cheese, Siggi's Dairy, Rachel's Organic, and Stonyfield Farm.
Contents
History of Lactalis
André Besnier started a small company that made cheese in 1933. In 1968, he launched the Président brand of Camembert cheese. The company grew by buying other dairy businesses.
In 1990, Lactalis bought Group Bridel, a large French dairy company. In 1992, it acquired Sorrento, a cheese company in the United States. The company's name changed from Besnier to Lactalis in 1999.
Lactalis continued to expand by buying companies in other countries. It bought the Italian group Galbani in 2006 and the Swiss cheesemaker Baer in 2008. In 2011, Lactalis acquired the Italian group Parmalat.
In 2006, Lactalis also created a joint company with Nestlé, called Lactalis-Nestlé Fresh Products.
In 2007, a French organization that protects special food names, the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), did not allow Lactalis to sell pasteurized Camembert as "true Camembert." This rule was later changed in 2018 to allow pasteurized Camembert to be included in a new special designation starting in 2021.
Lactalis acquired the Swedish dairy company Skånemejerier in 2012. In 2015, it bought a large part of the Turkish dairy company Ak Gida.
In 2017, Lactalis acquired Stonyfield Farm from Groupe Danone. This helped Danone complete another large purchase. In the same year, Lactalis also bought the dairy company Itambé.
In 2018, Lactalis acquired Siggi's Dairy, a company known for its skyr yogurt. It also bought Nestlé Malaysia's chilled dairy business. Lactalis's Indian branch acquired Prabhat's dairy business.
In 2020, Lactalis agreed to buy Kraft Heinz's natural cheese operations in North America and other countries. However, the U.S. government required Lactalis to sell some cheese brands, like Athenos and Polly-O.
In 2023, Lactalis American Group invested in a new facility in New York to make more whey, an ingredient from milk. In September 2024, Lactalis Group announced plans to acquire General Mills' US yogurt business. This move aimed to grow its yogurt business in the United States.
How Lactalis Operates
Lactalis is owned by the Besnier family through a company in Belgium called BSA International SA. In 2015, the company made a lot of money, about 16.5 billion euros.
Lactalis has 85,000 employees around the world. It has 237 production sites in 43 countries. The main office for Lactalis in America is in Buffalo, New York.
Lactalis makes many different dairy products. These include yogurt, butter, cheese, powdered milk, baby formula, and milk drinks.
Lactalis Brands
Lactalis has many brands organized into different groups:
- Lactalis cheeses, including Président, Galbani, and Rondelé.
- Lactalis Butter & Creams, with Président and Primrose.
- Lactel, with brands like Awakening and Day after day.
- Lactalis AOC, which includes special cheeses like Roquefort Société.
- Lactalis consumption AFH, with Président and Bridel.
- Lactalis industry, with BBA and Prolacta.
- Tendriade Veal, with Tendriade.
- Lactalis International, with Président, Sorrento, and Galbani.
- LNUF, with The Milkmaid, Yoco, and Greek Yogurt.
Lactalis has 198 factories in 55 countries. These countries include the US, Italy, Russia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa.
Australian Brands
Canadian Brands
Lactalis has many brands that are popular in Canada:
- aMOOza
- Astro
- Balderson
- Beatrice
- Bfit
- Black Diamond
- Cheesestrings
- Cracker Barrel
- Enjoy!
- iÖGO and iÖGO nanö
- Khaas
- Lactantia
- Olympic
- P’tit Quebéc
Italian Brands
- Galbani
Challenges and Issues
Lactalis has faced some challenges and issues over the years.
In August 2016, farmers in France protested at the company's headquarters. They were unhappy about the prices Lactalis was paying for milk.
In January 2018, Lactalis had to recall many boxes of baby formula. This was because of a possible contamination issue. The company was later investigated regarding how it handled the situation.
In 2020, there were claims that some Lactalis factories in France had not followed environmental rules for several years. Lactalis stated that it had invested money to improve its water treatment systems.
In February 2023, Lactalis Group and a related company faced charges in a case involving infant milk products. They were accused of not properly recalling products and other issues.
In July 2023, Lactalis Australia was fined for not following rules in the dairy industry.
In February 2024, Lactalis was fined in Spain for working with other milk companies to unfairly set milk prices. This meant farmers could sue for damages. Also in February 2024, French police searched Lactalis offices and the CEO's home. This was part of an investigation into financial practices.
Lactalis in Russia
Lactalis has continued its business activities in Russia. Some Russian business leaders have shown interest in buying their assets there. However, Lactalis has shown that it intends to keep operating in the Russian market.
Lactalis in Italy
Lactalis has bought several Italian dairy companies and brands, including Galbani, Parmalat, and Castelli. This has led to discussions about foreign companies owning famous Italian food brands.
Lactalis decided to close two production factories in Italy, one in San Gregorio and one in Ponte Buggianese. This decision affected many workers. Local authorities and unions were concerned about the impact on the regional economy. The San Gregorio plant closed in January 2023. In Tuscany, the regional government worked with local businesses to help workers from the Ponte Buggianese plant find new jobs.
See also
In Spanish: Lactalis para niños
- List of cheesemakers
- List of companies of France
