Your Questions Answered

Actimel is a probiotic drinking yogurt that helps support the body's defences. Actimel contains 3 different cultures: Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus Bulgaricus - two cultures that can be found in your regular yogurt -– plus the exclusive culture L.casei Imunitass ®.

If you want to know more go to What is Actimel? section of the website.

The word Actimel is derived from the Flemish "Active melk" which means literally Active Milk.

Actimel goes to work directly in your gut where about 70% of your immune system is located. Actimel works in three ways: first, it tops up the levels of good bacteria in your gut; second, Actimel helps to reinforce your gut wall, making life harder for the bad bacteria; third, Actimel has been shown to help support the immune system, an important part of your body's defences*.

If you want to know more go to How it works? section of the website

A key ingredient in Actimel is the exclusive L.casei Imunitass ® culture. Evidence from studies demonstrated that daily consumption of Actimel helps support your body's defences*.

If you want to know more go to What is Actimel? section of the website.

There are many L.casei strains, some already present in human intestinal flora. First identified in 1919, L.casei strains are used in a number of dairy products worldwide. The L.casei Imunitass ® culture in Actimel is an exclusive probiotic strain. L.casei Imunitass ® is the trademarked name for the L.casei culture DN-114 001 that is a specific Danone strain, selected by Danone's international research centre. The L.casei Imunitass ® culture was chosen for its probiotic characteristics and its beneficial effect.

Yes - Actimel is considered a probiotic product because each bottle contains over 10 billion live and active probiotic bacteria, the exclusive L.casei Imunitass ®, throughout its shelf life and Actimel has been shown to have a positive impact on our health.

If you want to know more go to Probiotics Explained section of the website

The World Health Organisation defines probiotics as: "live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host" (WHO 2002).

For foods to be called probiotic, they must have the following features:

• They must contain a sufficient number of these 'good' bacteria that are still alive and active at the end of the shelf-life of the product.
• These bacteria must be proven to survive the strong acids in the stomach.
• The bacteria within them that cause the probiotic effect must be identified and named as being of a specific type and strain.

If you want to know more go to Probiotics Explained section of the website

Actimel is a probiotic drinking yogurt that helps support the body's defences*. Actimel goes to work directly in your gut where about 70% of your immune system is located. A key ingredient in Actimel is the exclusive L.casei Imunitass ® culture. Evidence from studies demonstrated that daily consumption of Actimel helps support the body's defences*.

Yes, the beneficial effects of Actimel have been researched for more than 15 years. During this time, 24 articles for clinicals conducted on over 3000 subjects have been published supporting the health benefits of Actimel. This information, in greater detail, is accessible from the home page under 'Scientific Evidence' and 'How does Actimel work?'

Actimel has 13 different flavours – nine low fat flavours and four fat free (with less than 30 calories per bottle). For more information please visit the Flavours and Nutritional information section.

No, Actimel and Activia are both probiotic products but they offer different health benefits.

Actimel is a drinking yogurt which helps support the body's natural defences*. In contrast, Activia is a yogurt which helps improve slower digestive transit when at least one pot is consumed daily as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle.

If you want to know more go to Probiotics Explained section of the website

There are 3 elements of packaging in Actimel.

The pick-up that holds the bottles together is made of flat cardboard, this is now widely recycled in the UK.

The bottle is made of HDPE which is the same type of plastic as milk bottles widely found in your local supermarket. An increasing number of local authorities currently collect and recycle this material.

To find out about what your local authority will collect from your home and where your local recycling banks are check on www.recyclenow.com and enter your post code.

The lid is made of aluminium foil which is not currently recyclable.

Danone is committed to reduce the amount of packaging we are using and facilitate the recycling of our materials. To find out more about our sustainability policy please visit our website www.danone.co.uk.

For full information on the nutritional value of each Actimel product within the range go to the Flavours and Nutritional information section.

We would really like to hear about your ideas. We suggest you send it through our consumer careline at consumerassurance@nutricia.co.uk

Actimel is suitable for everyone from age 3 upwards when consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. It is not formulated to meet the specific nutritional requirements of an infant or young child. If you have any concerns about consuming Actimel we recommend that you talk to your GP.

Actimel is suitable for everyone from age 3 upwards. It is not formulated to meet the specific nutritional requirements of an infant or young child. Actimel helps support the body's defences* and this has been shown to be particularly true in those people whose body's defence are challenged, for example, in the elderly population or people who live a hectic and stressful lifetstyle.

Actimel should form part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. If you have any concerns about whether you can consume Actimel we recommend that you talk to your GP.

We are not aware of any issues related to a high level of consumption of Actimel but we recommend 1-2 bottles of Actimel are consumed daily as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle to help support the bodys defences*. If you have any concerns about consuming Actimel we recommend that you talk to your GP.

Diabetes is a complex disease - depending on the individuals needs the product could be suitable providing the sugar content is factored into the overall diet. We suggest you discuss it further with your GP if you have any concerns.

Actimel products are clearly labelled with their suitability for vegetarians. We recommend that you check the label of the product before consuming.

All Actimel products sold in the UK are gluten free.

Actimel is intended for the general healthy population, including pregnant and lactating women. We recommend that you talk to your GP if you have any concerns about consuming Actimel.

Studies have shown that Actimel can have positive benefits for consumers taking antibiotics because it helps to top up your good bacteria*. However it is recommended that individuals taking antibiotics should talk first to their GP about consuming Actimel while on a course of antibiotic treatment.

We recommend that you talk to your GP about consuming Actimel during times of illness or when going into hospital.

Although the effect of Actimel is expected to be the same whenever it is taken during the day, it is suggested to integrate it into your breakfast, in order to establish a daily routine. It is recommended that 1-2 bottles of Actimel are consumed daily as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Actimel should be stored in the refrigerator at below +6'C for no longer than the use by date marked on the product.

As with all chilled food products, we recommend that Actimel is transferred to your fridge as soon as you arrive home from shopping.

Actimel is not intended to be frozen and we cannot guarantee the quality of the product, including the health benefit, if it is frozen

Actimel is a food product which has been developed to be ingested orally only.

We recommend you to consume Actimel every day (1-2 bottles per day) as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle to get the desired benefit, which is to help support the body's defences.

Probiotics are transient in the gut , so we recommend to drink Actimel every day (1-2 bottles per day). This is one way to help ensure that the beneficial bacteria in your gut is kept at an amount to help support the body's defences.

Every day we face a series of factors that we don't control, such as the weather, stress or even age. These factors are constantly challenging our defences and can weaken them, even if we have a balanced life. For this reason Actimel is important as it helps support the body's defences against these challenges on a daily basis*.

Yes. Actimel should be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. As Actimel is a food you can enjoy it whenever you like. Although the effect of Actimel is expected to be the same whenever it is taken during the day, it is suggested to integrate Actimel into your breakfast, in order to establish a daily routine.

Yes. Actimel should be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. As Actimel is a food you can enjoy it whenever you like. Although the effect of Actimel is expected to be the same whenever it is taken during the day, it is suggested to integrate Actimel into your breakfast, in order to establish a daily routine.

Yes. Actimel is a probiotic drinking yogurt which can be added to cereals. Actimel should be consumed as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle. As Actimel is a food you can enjoy it whenever you like.

No. The probiotic L.casei Imunitass ® contained in Actimel is exclusive to Danone. The effects of probiotic bacteria are strain-specific and can also depend on the delivery form (foods like dairy or juice, capsules etc.). It means that all the probiotic bacteria don't necessarily provide the same benefits. For that reason studies have been conducted on Actimel, with its exclusive L. casei Imunitass ® culture, as it is available on shelves. Twenty-four of clinical studies have been conducted and provide evidence to demonstrate that daily consumption of Actimel helps support the body's defences*.

Actimel is a delicious probiotic drinking yogurt and it is available in 13 different flavours, so there is sure to be a favourite for everyone. For more information on Actimel flavours go to the Actimel Flavours & Nutritional information section.

Actimel does not exist in a bigger bottle because there is no specific consumer needs justifying this new format. We do not exclude the possibility to launch it if the market situation changes.

Actimel has been developed to have optimal qualities (sensory quality, living cultures…) until its use by date.

Yes as long as you can guarantee that it is kept below 6°C. Actimel has been developed to have optimal qualities (sensory quality, living cultures…) when kept at 6°C maximum.

Yogurt is a dairy product produced from the fermentation of milk and characterised by the use of specific starter cultures. The basic cultures used in the manufacture of yogurt are Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus Bulgaricus. Alternate culture yogurt may use the cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and any Lactobacillus species.

The World Health Organisation defines probiotics as: "live micro-organisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host" (WHO 2002).

For foods to be called probiotic, they must have the following features:

• They must contain a sufficient number of these 'good' bacteria that are still alive and active at the end of the shelf-life of the product.
• These bacteria must be proven to survive the strong acids in the stomach.
• The bacteria within them that cause the probiotic effect must be identified and named as being of a specific type and strain.

If you want to know more go to Probiotics Explained section of the website

A prebiotic is defined as a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects human by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of bacteria in the colon, and thus improves host health. As such it is a kind of food that only some "good" gut bacteria can eat. It is the case of some dietary fibres (oligosaccharide or polysaccharide extracted from fruits or plants for example) as long as it was scientifically demonstrated that the food ingredient:

1. Resists host digestion, absorption and adsorption processes;
2. Is fermented by the microflora colonising the gastrointestinal system;
3. Selectively stimulates the growth and/or the activity of one or a limited number of bacteria within the gastrointestinal system.

Yes, but the cultures or probiotics found in Danone products are added to the products after the product has been pasteurised or heat-treated so that the cultures or probiotics reach consumers alive and can have a beneficial impact to consumers' health.

Danone Dairy products contain lactose originating from the milk they are made with. However, if you are lactose intolerant, you may still be able to eat our dairy products, but you should first consult with your GP to make sure. Our dairy products are not suitable for people with milk allergies.

Diabetes is a complex disease - depending on the individuals needs the product could be suitable providing the sugar content is factored into the overall diet. We suggest the consumer discuss it further with their GP.

GDAs (Guideline Daily Amounts) translate nutrition information into consumer friendly figures. GDAs provide on pack guidelines to help put nutrition information into the context of an overall healthy balanced diet by showing how much of your daily amount of particular nutrients a serving of the food provides.

If you have any allergies it is advised that you check the label of all food products for allergies and read the ingredient lists before consuming.

A healthy balanced diet contains a variety of foods including drinking water regularly and eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, starchy foods such as wholegrain bread, pasta and rice, some protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, lentils and dairy foods. It should also be low in fat (especially saturated fat), salt and sugar. It is recommended that this is combined with a lifestyle that includes 30 mins of physical activity 5 times a week.

If you would like to know more about steps in achieving a healthier and more balanced diet and lifestyle then visit www.eatwell.gov.uk