Daniel Carasso

Daniel Carasso
Born	(1905-12-16) 16 December 1905 Salonica, Ottoman Empire (now Thessaloniki, Greece)
Died	17 May 2009(2009-05-17) (aged 103) Paris, France
Occupation	Businessman
Known for	Founder of Danone yogurt brand

Daniel Carasso (December 16, 1905 – May 17, 2009) was a French businessman of Sephardic Jewish descent, belonging to the Carasso family. He was the son of Isaac Carasso, the original founder of the global yogurt brand Danone.

Biography

Daniel Carasso was born in Salonica, part of the Ottoman Empire at the time (now Thessaloniki, Greece), where his family had resided for generations following the expulsion of Jews from Spain. In 1916, his family relocated to Barcelona. Three years later, in 1919, his father launched yogurt sales under the name 'Danone', derived from Daniel’s childhood nickname, Danon.

He pursued business studies in Marseille and later specialized in bacteriology at the Pasteur Institute before assuming leadership of the family enterprise. In 1939, he established a French branch of the company. With the onset of Nazi occupation in France during 1941, Carasso emigrated to the United States, returning to France a decade later in 1951.

Death

Carasso passed away at his residence in Paris at the age of 103.

Dannon Yogurt

In 1942, Daniel Carasso collaborated with Joe Metzger and Metzger’s son Juan to purchase Oxy-Gala, a modest Greek yogurt producer. This venture led to the creation of Dannon Milk Products based in Bronx, New York. By 1947, Dannon modified its yogurt by incorporating fruit preserves to cater to American preferences, resulting in significant growth in sales. Over time, the company expanded its product range to include cheeses and other food items. In 1981, after acquiring Beatrice Foods’ shares, it was rebranded as Groupe Danone.