Name

arla foods denmark

Legal name

Arla Foods amba

Website

https://arlafoods.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Dairy Products

NAICS

Dairy Product Manufacturing (3115), Dairy Product (except Frozen) Manufacturing (31151), Fluid Milk Manufacturing (311511), Cheese Manufacturing (311513), Dairy Cattle and Milk Production (112120), Food Manufacturing (311)

SIC

Dairy Products (2020), Food And Kindred Products (2000), Beverages (2080), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Yogurt & Cultured Dairy (Yogurt, Kefir, Sour Cream, Cottage Cheese) (CRADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant-Based Milk Alternatives (Soy, Almond, Oat, Coconut, Rice, Pea) (AFAFAEAF), Dairy-Based Beverage Production (Milk Drinks, Yogurt Drinks, Lassi) (AFAFABAJ), Coffee & Tea Dairy Beverages (Iced Latte/Milk Coffee, Milk Tea, Chai-Based Dairy Drinks) (AFAHAIAF), Dairy-Based Beverage Wholesale (Milk Drinks, Yogurt Drinks) (AFAIAGAG)

Keywords

• Dairy cooperative
• Consumer dairy products
• Dairy ingredients B2B
• Whey protein ingredients
• Plant-based oat drinks

Headquarters

HQ city

Viby J

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Branded Retail Dairy Products: Sale of consumer-branded dairy products including milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, spreads, and protein products under Arla, Lurpak, Castello, Puck, and Starbucks by Arla brands through retail grocery channels. Revenue from higher price/volume through brand premium and retail partnerships.
2. Arla Foods Ingredients (B2B): Sale of dairy ingredients including whey proteins, lactose, casein, and specialty ingredients to food manufacturers, nutritional product companies, and pharmaceutical companies globally. Revenue grew 53.7% to EUR 726 million in H1 2025, driven by strong market demand for dairy proteins and integration of the Volac Whey Nutrition acquisition. Value-added protein products represent 82.9% of AFI revenue.
3. Foodservice / Professional Channel: Arla Pro brand serving restaurants, bakeries, and professional kitchens with dairy products tailored for foodservice operators.
4. Global Industry Sales / Commodity: Trading and sale of dairy commodities including butter, cheese, milk powder, and fat-rich products to global industrial buyers. In H1 2025, revenue was EUR 1,255 million with 28.5% of milk solids sold through this channel.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arla Foods produces, manufactures, and markets a broad portfolio of dairy and dairy-based products including milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, spreads, whey proteins, lactose-free dairy, and plant-based oat drinks under global brands (Arla, Lurpak, Castello, Puck, Arla Protein, Arla Skyr, Arla JÖRD, Arla Dofino, Arla Pro, Starbucks by Arla). The company operates a farmer-owned dairy cooperative serving both retail consumers through branded products and business customers (food manufacturers, foodservice operators) through its Arla Foods Ingredients B2B ingredients business and Arla Pro foodservice channel.

Product overview

Arla Foods is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative offering a broad portfolio of dairy products across multiple brands and categories. The core Arla brand encompasses milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, and spreads. Strategic global brands include Lurpak (premium butter), Castello (specialty cheese), and Puck (Middle East/North Africa). Protein-focused sub-brands include Arla Protein and Arla Skyr targeting fitness and functional health consumers. The company has expanded into plant-based with Arla JÖRD (oat drinks and fermented products). B2B operations through Arla Foods Ingredients focus on whey and dairy proteins for food manufacturers. Foodservice offerings under Arla Pro serve restaurants and bakeries. Recent expansion includes Starbucks licensed products in European markets and the acquisition of cottage cheese producer Brancourts in Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lurpak: Premium butter brand
• Castello
• Puck
• Arla Protein
• Arla JÖRD
• Arla Skyr
• Arla Dofino
• Arla Creme Cheese
• Tre Stelle

Products and services

• Arla (Core Brand) Core dairy brand encompassing milk, butter, cheese, yogurt, and spreads sold across European and international markets.
• Lurpak Premium butter and spreads brand, one of Arla's strategic global brands with strong market presence.
• Castello Cheese brand offering specialty and household cheese products, including Castello cheese and cream cheese variants.
• Puck Dairy brand strong in Middle East and North Africa markets, serving retail and foodservice channels.
• Arla Protein High-protein dairy product line fat-free and made from natural ingredients, positioned as a fitness and training partner for active lifestyle consumers.
• Arla Skyr High-protein fermented dairy product (Icelandic-style yogurt), part of the functional health dairy category experiencing exceptional growth.
• Arla JÖRD Plant-based product line featuring oat-based drinks and oat fermented products made with Nordic Oats, enriched with Vitamin D, Folic Acid (Vitamin B9), and Fibre. Produced at Arla's Esbjerg site in Denmark.
• Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI) B2B ingredients business specializing in whey and dairy proteins, supplying to food manufacturers globally. Revenue reached EUR 726 million in H1 2025 with 82.9% value-add share. Includes Volac Whey Nutrition business acquisition.
• Arla Pro Foodservice brand for restaurants and bakeries, providing dairy solutions for professional kitchens.
• Lactose-Free Dairy Products Dairy products with lactose removed or split, allowing lactose-intolerant consumers to enjoy dairy while still receiving beneficial nutrients from milk.
• Starbucks by Arla Dairy-based coffee and beverage products distributed under license in European markets including Belgium and France, experiencing strong growth at 12.3% in the International segment in H1 2025.
• Arla Dofino Cheese brand including Havarti and other Danish-style cheeses sold in North American markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30.3% CO2e emissions reduction target from milk and whey by 2030 (from 2020 baseline)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Mayers Fine Food (Mayer Australia / AFMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Arla Foods operates in Australia through Arla Foods Mayer Australia (AFMA), a successful joint venture with Australian family-owned Mayers Fine Food. AFMA holds leading positions in butter (Lurpak) and cheese (Castello). Arla acquired cottage cheese producer Brancourts through AFMA in 2026, expanding branded presence and enabling entry into cottage cheese — the fastest-growing segment with 40%+ volume growth year-on-year.
• DMK GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Merger between Arla Foods and DMK Group, two of Europe's leading dairy cooperatives. In June 2025, Boards of Representatives of both companies approved a merger plan. The merger received regulatory approval and officially closed on 1 June 2026, creating Europe's leading dairy cooperative. The merger aims to expand innovation opportunities, enhance resilience, and drive greater efficiency in the evolving global dairy market. The combined entity strengthens cooperative dairy sector and creates added value for farmer owners, customers, and consumers.
• FarmAhead™ Customer Partnership ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025FarmAhead™ Customer Partnership program brings Arla Foods and its customers together to drive efficiency actions on farms. Example: collaboration with a customer in Denmark focuses on retiring carbon-rich lowland soils to reduce emissions and promote biodiversity. With total milk volumes exceeding 4 billion kilograms in first half of 2025, these partnerships enable measurable progress towards climate goals while providing customers with data for sustainability reporting.
• Volac Whey NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Arla Foods completed acquisition and successful integration of Volac Whey Nutrition's whey business. The integration significantly strengthened Arla's market position in dairy proteins at a time of high global demand. The acquisition contributed EUR 137 million to Arla Foods Ingredients revenue in H1 2025. This strategic acquisition expanded Arla's whey and dairy protein capabilities and ingredient portfolio.
• SolinestcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023Long-term distribution partnership agreement between Arla Foods and French distributor Solinest to launch Arla Skyr and Arla Protein brands in French retail. Solinest uses its extensive sales force to distribute products covering 99% of retail in France. Products produced at Arla dairies in Northern Europe. Partnership supports Arla's branded business expansion in one of Europe's largest dairy markets, competing against Lactalis and Danone.
• Coupa (Arla e-Sourcing Platform)coreTechnology or IntegrationArla Foods selected Coupa, an AI-driven cloud platform for comprehensive spend management and supply chain optimization, to enhance collaboration and growth using a suite of procurement tools. All suppliers must respond to RFIs, RFPs, and e-Auctions exclusively through Coupa. Coupa Supplier Portal used for purchase order management, catalogue management, and sourcing events. Electronic signature handled through DocuSign integration.
• Renewable Energy PPA Partners (Wind and Solar)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArla Foods has entered into multiple long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for renewable electricity from wind and solar. Examples: 44 GWh/year from solar and wind plants in Pronsfeld, Germany; 20 GWh/year combined from solar plants in Lincolnshire and Kent, UK; 43 GWh/year from solar park in Denmark; 90 GWh/year from largest solar PPA in Sweden's history. Also purchases certificates directly from Arla farmers for electricity generated at their farms.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Oatly: Leading oat-based dairy alternative brand competing head-to-head with Arla JÖRD in plant-based drinks and foodservice barista applications. Relevant peer given Arla's plant-based expansion into a category Oatly defined.

Broad incumbents

• Danone: Global dairy and plant-based CPG leader with significant overlap in yogurt, dairy alternatives, and B2B nutrition. Publicly listed and broader in scope, but directly competes with Arla's yogurt, dairy-alternative, and ingredient positions in Europe.
• Nestlé: Global food and beverage conglomerate with dairy across infant nutrition, dairy ingredients, and beverages. Competes with Arla in B2B ingredients, dairy-based beverages (via Starbucks licensing outside Europe), and broader packaged food categories.

Direct peers

• Müller: German family-owned dairy with strong positions in yogurt, desserts, and dairy drinks. Direct competitor in protein yogurt (Müller Corner), lactose-free, and branded dairy across German and adjacent markets.
• DMK Group: Germany's largest dairy cooperative, formally merged with Arla Foods in June 2026. Pre-merger, was a directly competing cooperative in branded dairy, ingredients, and B2B across Northern Europe.
• Lactalis: Lactalis is the world's largest privately-held dairy group with overlapping branded portfolios (butter, cheese, milk) and similar multi-geography reach. Directly comparable as a privately held, multi-category European dairy incumbent competing with Arla across retail and foodservice.
• Saputo: Canadian-headquartered global dairy processor with overlapping categories in cheese, butter, and ingredients. Comparable multi-geography, multi-category dairy strategy and competing with Arla in branded retail and ingredients channels.
• Glanbia: Irish-listed dairy and nutrition group with strong B2B ingredients (whey protein) overlap with Arla Foods Ingredients and a cooperative-style farmer supply base. Closely comparable in ingredients-led growth profile.
• FrieslandCampina: Dutch dairy cooperative operating the same farmer-owned model, with comparable branded dairy, B2B ingredients (whey, milk powders), and European retail presence. Most structurally analogous peer given shared cooperative governance.

Regional players

• Valio: Finnish dairy cooperative with similar farmer-owned structure and Nordic presence. Comparable in branded cheese, butter, and milk powders, primarily competing in the Nordics and Baltic markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArlaGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/arla
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arla-foods
• Instagraminstagram.com/inside_arla/?hl=en

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about arla foods denmark