Lactalis Group

What does Lactalis own?
Lactalis owns hundreds of dairy brands across 50 countries. Major brands include President (cheese), Galbani (Italian cheese and dairy), Parmalat (milk and dairy), Stonyfield and Siggi's (U.S. yogurt), Yoplait (licensed from Sodiaal International), Lactel (milk), Bridel (cheese), Itambe (Brazilian dairy), and the Fonterra consumer brands including Anchor, Mainland, and Perfect Italiano. The company also owns dairy ingredients and specialized nutrition businesses.

Is Lactalis publicly traded?
No, Lactalis Group is not publicly traded. The Besnier family privately owns the company through a network of holding companies. Emmanuel Besnier, the founder's grandson, serves as Chairman and CEO. The company publishes annual results but is not required to file detailed public financial disclosures.

Who founded Lactalis?
Lactalis was founded in 1933 by Andre Besnier in Laval, in the Mayenne department of western France. Besnier started with a single cheese-making operation producing Camembert. The company remained a regional French cheese producer for its first three decades before expanding internationally.

Where is Lactalis headquartered?
Lactalis is headquartered in Laval, Mayenne, France. The city in western France has been the company's base since its founding in 1933. Lactalis maintains its global headquarters there while operating approximately 270 production sites across 50 countries.

How many brands does Lactalis own?
Lactalis owns hundreds of dairy brands across 50 countries. The exact count is not publicly disclosed, but the portfolio includes global brands such as President, Galbani, and Parmalat, alongside dozens of regional and local brands. The company's strategy is to maintain local brands rather than consolidating under a single global label.

Who owns Lactalis?
Lactalis is privately owned by the Besnier family, descendants of founder Andre Besnier. Emmanuel Besnier (the founder's grandson) serves as Chairman and CEO. His brothers Jean-Michel and Denis Besnier also hold leadership positions. The family controls the company through holding companies and maintains full strategic control.

What was the Fonterra acquisition?
In April 2026, Lactalis finalized the acquisition of Fonterra's consumer and associated businesses for NZ$5.6 billion (approximately 2.85 billion euros). The deal included brands such as Mainland, Anchor, Perfect Italiano, and Western Star, along with 16 manufacturing facilities in Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia. The acquisition added 4,300 employees to Lactalis.

Lactalis was founded in 1933 by Andre Besnier in Laval, a city in the Mayenne department of western France. Besnier started with a single cheese-making operation, producing Camembert de Normandie. The company remained a regional French cheese producer for its first three decades.

The Besnier family expanded the business in the 1950s and 1960s, adding new cheese varieties and building a broader distribution network across France. In 1955, the company launched the President brand, which would become its flagship cheese label. President Camembert grew into one of the most recognized cheese brands in France and later internationally.

International expansion began in the 1970s and accelerated in the 1980s and 1990s. Lactalis acquired cheese and dairy companies across Europe, building positions in Italy, Spain, Belgium, and other markets. The acquisition of Bridel in 1997 expanded the company's cheese portfolio. During this period, Lactalis also expanded into liquid milk and yogurt, diversifying beyond its cheese origins.

The 2000s and 2010s brought the acquisitions that transformed Lactalis into the world's largest dairy company. The company acquired Galbani, Italy's leading cheese brand, in 2006. In 2011, Lactalis acquired Parmalat, the Italian dairy giant, for approximately 2.5 billion euros, gaining a major presence in liquid milk and international markets. In 2017, Lactalis acquired Stonyfield, the American organic yogurt brand, from Danone. The acquisition of Siggi's (an Icelandic-style yogurt brand) followed in 2018.

Under Emmanuel Besnier, who became CEO in 2003, Lactalis has pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy. The company has completed dozens of acquisitions across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. This strategy has made Lactalis the largest dairy company in the world by revenue, surpassing competitors including Nestle, Danone, and Fonterra.

The 2024-2026 period brought two of the company's largest acquisitions. In June 2025, Lactalis completed the acquisition of General Mills' U.S. yogurt business, which represented 1.2 billion dollars in revenue and included nearly 1,000 employees at production sites in Tennessee and Michigan. The deal brought Yoplait (licensed from Sodiaal International), GoGurt, Oui, Mountain High, and :ratio into the Lactalis portfolio. Lactalis created a new division called Midwest Yogurt to manage these brands alongside its existing U.S. yogurt operations (Stonyfield and Siggi's). The acquisition made Lactalis the third-largest player in the U.S. fresh dairy market.

In April 2026, Lactalis finalized the acquisition of Fonterra's consumer and associated businesses for NZ$5.6 billion (approximately 2.85 billion euros). The deal included brands such as Mainland, Anchor, Perfect Italiano, Western Star, Ratthi, Cheesdale, Fernleaf, Anlene, and Anmum. Sixteen manufacturing facilities in Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia joined Lactalis, along with 4,300 employees. This transaction transformed Australia into one of Lactalis's "big five" regional markets, alongside France, the United States, Brazil, and Italy.

Lactalis publishes sustainability commitments in its annual activity report, focusing on responsible sourcing, packaging reduction, and carbon emissions targets. The company states a goal of reducing its carbon footprint through investments in production efficiency and renewable energy at its manufacturing sites.

However, Lactalis's sustainability reporting is largely self-reported, and the company has not published independently verified carbon reduction targets through frameworks such as the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The company's "Nurturing a Responsible Future" program covers animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, and packaging, but specific progress metrics are limited in public disclosures.

The dairy industry faces inherent sustainability challenges related to methane emissions from cattle, water usage, and land use. Lactalis's scale as the world's largest dairy producer means its environmental footprint is substantial, though the company's local production model reduces transportation-related emissions compared to centralized production and global distribution.

Lactalis has faced several significant controversies.

In 2017, a salmonella contamination at a Lactalis factory in Craon, France, affected infant formula sold under the Milumel and Picot brands. The contamination sickened dozens of infants across France. Lactalis recalled 12 million boxes of infant formula, and the French government ordered a broader recall. The scandal revealed weaknesses in the company's quality control and led to legal proceedings. In 2020, a French court ordered Lactalis to pay 4 million euros in fines related to the contamination.

The company has also faced price-fixing investigations. In 2014, French antitrust authorities fined Lactalis and other dairy companies for price-fixing on dairy products sold to retailers. Similar investigations have occurred in other European markets.

The acquisition strategy that has made Lactalis the world's largest dairy company has also drawn scrutiny. Competition authorities in multiple jurisdictions have reviewed Lactalis acquisitions for market concentration concerns. The General Mills yogurt acquisition in 2025 and the Fonterra acquisition in 2026 both required regulatory approval in multiple markets.