Isaac Carasso

Isaac Carasso was a Greek immigrant physician living in Barcelona who observed widespread intestinal infections and malnutrition among Spanish children in the 1910s. Inspired by Nobel laureate Élie Metchnikoff's research at the Pasteur Institute on lactic acid bacteria and longevity, Carasso applied Balkan fermentation techniques to produce yogurt as a medicinal product. His decision to sell through pharmacies rather than food shops established Danone's health-origin positioning that persists today.

Isaac Carasso (1881-1945) founded Danone in 1919 in Barcelona, Spain, naming the company after his son Daniel (nickname 'Danon'). A physician by training, Carasso was inspired by the work of Nobel Prize winner Élie Metchnikoff at the Pasteur Institute, who theorized that fermented milk containing lactic acid bacteria could promote digestive health and longevity. Carasso began producing yogurt in his kitchen using traditional Balkan fermentation methods and sold it through pharmacies as a medicinal product for children suffering from intestinal disorders and malnutrition. This health-focused origin differentiated Danone from commodity dairy producers and established a brand identity centered on science-backed nutrition. By 1929, his son Daniel had joined the business and expanded operations to France, founding the Société Parisienne du Yoghourt Danone in Paris. Isaac Carasso's founding philosophy—using food as medicine—remains embedded in Danone's mission statement more than a century later.