French dairy giant Danone has taken part in a funding round for US plant-based business Hälsa Foods through its in-house venture-capital fund Danone Manifesto Ventures.

The Santa Monica, California-based business also attracted investment from Gary Hirshberg, co-founder and former long-time CEO and chairman of yogurt firm Stonyfield Organic, who has become a Hälsa board member.

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Andrew Abraham, the founder and CEO of Orgain, also joins Hälsa as a new investor.

Danone had previously invested in a seed funding round for Hälsa through its New York-based venture fund.

Hälsa – which means health in Swedish – claims to make the first 100% clean and organic oat milk yogurt.

It has eliminated all food additives and chemicals from the manufacturing process and recipes and says no enzymes are used to alter the grain. The products are also free of gums, emulsifiers, phosphates and processed sugar.

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Hirshberg said: “Hälsa has done something other plant-based brands have not been able to do by creating a completely clean, additive-free process and label with minimal ingredients and no added sugar.

“I was attracted to Hälsa yogurts because of their superb taste and texture, but also because I believe that the future of plant-based is absolutely organic.”

Helena Lumme and Mika Manninen, president and CEO of Hälsa Foods, respectively, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Gary, a visionary change maker who truly cares about what people eat.”

Lumme added: “The future of plant-based belongs to 100% clean label. Hälsa cracked the code by developing a new manufacturing process that keeps the nutritional benefits of whole grain oats intact.”

Earlier this year, Hälsa launched a range of Organic Oatmilk Yogurt Cups.

Read just-food’s analysis – Big Food’s stake in the future – in-house venture-capital funds 

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