What is Actimel?
Actimel is a probiotic drinking yogurt that is scientifically proven to help strengthen your body's natural 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 ®.
What does ‘Actimel’ mean?
The word Actimel is derived from the Flemish “Active melk” which literally means Active Milk.
What are the benefits of Actimel?
Actimel is a probiotic drinking yogurt that is scientifically proven to help strengthen your natural 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 strengthen your natural defences*.
If I have a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle life, why do I need Actimel?
Following a healthy, balanced diet is key to helping you stay healthy. 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. Actimel helps strengthen your natural defences when consumed daily as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
How does Actimel work?
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 bad bacteria; third, Actimel has been shown to help support the immune system, an important part of your body’s natural defences*.
What makes Actimel work?
A key ingredient in Actimel is the exclusive L.casei Imunitass ® culture. Evidence from studies demonstrates that daily consumption of Actimel helps strengthen your natural defences*.
Is L.casei Imunitass unique?
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, a specific strain, selected by Danone's international research centre. The L.casei Imunitass ® culture was chosen for its probiotic characteristics and its beneficial effect on health.
Is there any scientific backing behind the beneficial claims of Actimel?
Yes, the beneficial effects of Actimel have been researched for more than 15 years. During this time, 26 publications of clinical studies conducted on over 3000 subjects have been published, supporting the health benefits of Actimel. Collectively, they show that Actimel is scientifically proven to help strengthen your natural defences*.
What are probiotics?
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 and reach the gut in adequate numbers.
- The bacteria within them that cause the probiotic effect must be identified and named as being of a specific type and strain.
- The probiotic should bring a health benefit for the host.
What are prebiotics?
A prebiotic is defined as a non-digestible food ingredient that beneficially affects humans by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or a limited number of “good” 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. Some dietary fibers (oligosaccharides or polysaccharides extracted from fruit or plants for example) can be classified as prebiotic.
Is Actimel a probiotic?
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. Actimel helps strengthen the natural defences when consumed daily as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Is the probiotic in Actimel the same as the probiotics I get from capsules?
No. Danone Actimel contains the exclusive probiotic L.casei Imunitass ®. The effects of probiotic bacteria are strain-specific and can also depend on the delivery form (e.g. in foods like dairy or juice or in capsules etc.). This means that not all the probiotic bacteria and even different strains of Lactobacillus casei 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 supermarket shelves. Twenty-four publications of clinical studies collectively provide evidence to demonstrate that daily consumption of Actimel helps strengthen your natural defences*.
Is Actimel the same as Activia but in a bottle?
No, Actimel and Activia are both probiotic products but they contain different probiotics and offer different health benefits. Actimel is a drinking yogurt which helps strengthen your 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.
Can I recycle the Actimel packaging?
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.
- 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.
- The lid is made of aluminium foil which is not currently recyclable.
Danone is committed to reducing the amount of packaging we are using and facilitate the recycling of our materials.
What does Actimel taste like?
Actimel is a delicious probiotic drinking yogurt and it is available in 11 different flavours, so there is sure to be a favourite for everyone.
How many flavours does Actimel have?
Actimel has 12 different flavours – eight full fat flavours and four fat free flavours (with less than 30 calories per bottle).
How many calories does a bottle of Danone Actimel contain?
Danone Actimel contains less than 80 kcal per bottle. Danone Actimel fat free contains less than 30 kcal per bottle. For full information on the nutritional value of each Actimel product within the range go to the Flavours section.
How many Weight Watchers points does Danone Actimel have?
Danone Actimel original and flavoured ranges have 1.5 points. Danone Actimel fat free range has 0.5 points.
I have a suggestion for a new flavour. What should I do?
We would really like to hear about your ideas. We suggest you send it through our consumer careline at
danoneinfo@fexco.com.
How should I store Actimel?
We recommend to store Danone Actimel in the refrigerator at below +6°C for no longer than the use by date marked on the product. Actimel is a drinking yogurt, so normal household temperatures would tend to kill the live cultures that Actimel contains. As with all chilled food products, we recommend that Actimel is transferred to your fridge as soon as you arrive home from shopping, within 4 hours of purchase.
Is it possible to freeze Actimel?
Actimel is not intended to be frozen and we cannot guarantee the quality of the product, including the health benefit, if it is frozen.
Can I drink Actimel past its use by date?
Actimel has been developed to have optimal qualities (sensory quality, living cultures…) up until its use by date and these qualities cannot be guaranteed beyond its use by date.
Does pasteurisation kill the bacteria/cultures?
Yes, but the cultures or probiotics found in Danone products are added 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.
What are GDA's?
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.
Can you drink too much Actimel? How many should I take?
We are not aware of issues of toxicity with high levels of Actimel consumption but we recommend 1-2 bottles of Actimel daily as part of a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle to help strengthen your natural defences. If you have any concerns about consuming Actimel we recommend that you talk to your GP or dietitian.
When is the best moment to drink Actimel during the day?
It is recommend that 1-2 bottles of Actimel are consumed daily as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle. We suggest that you integrate Actimel into your morning breakfast in order to establish a daily routine.
With which frequency should Actimel be consumed?
We recommend you to drink 1-2 bottles of Actimel every day as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle to get the desired benefit, which is to help strengthen your natural defences*.
Why is it recommended to drink Actimel everyday?
Probiotics are transient in the gut (i.e. they do not stay permanently), so we recommend consuming 1-2 bottles of Actimel every day. This is one way to help ensure that the beneficial bacteria in your gut are present in sufficient quantities to help strengthen the body's natural defences.
Can I drink Actimel on an empty stomach?
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 morning breakfast, in order to establish a daily routine.
Can I drink it as a snack?
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 morning breakfast, in order to establish a daily routine.
Can I pour it on my cereal?
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. Actimel is a food you can enjoy whenever you like.
Can I put Actimel in a lunchbox?
Actimel has been developed to have optimal qualities (sensory quality, living cultures…) when kept refrigerated at 6°C maximum.
Who can drink Actimel?
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. Fat free dairy products are not suitable for children under 5 yrs and therefore the Actimel fat free range is suitable from 5 yrs. Actimel helps strengthen the natural defences* and this has been shown to be particularly true in those people whose natural defence are challenged, for example, in the elderly population or people who live a hectic and stressful lifestyle.
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.
Is Actimel suitable for children?
Actimel is suitable for children 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.
Is Actimel suitable for pregnant women?
Studies on Actimel have not been carried out in pregnant women. We recommend that you talk to your GP if you have any concerns about consuming Actimel.
Is Actimel suitable for vegetarians?
Actimel products are clearly labelled with their suitability for vegetarians. We recommend that you check the label of the product before consuming.
Is Actimel suitable for diabetics?
The Actimel fat free range is suitable for diabetics. 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 health practitioner or dietitian.
Is Actimel gluten free?
All Actimel products sold in the republic of Ireland are gluten free and therefore suitable for coeliacs.
Are Danone Dairy products suitable for people with lactose intolerance?
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.
Is there any nut allergy advice on Danone products?
If you have any allergies it is advised that you check the label of all food products for allergies and read the ingredient list before consuming.
Is it possible to consume Actimel when taking antibiotics?
Studies have shown that Actimel can have positive benefits for consumers taking antibiotics because it helps to top up the level of good bacteria in your gut. However it is recommended that individuals taking antibiotics should talk first to their GP about consuming Actimel while on a course of antibiotic treatment.
If I am sick or going into hospital, will Actimel help me?
We recommend that you talk to your GP about consuming Actimel during times of illness or when going into hospital.
