"We want to play a part in changing that system." Dannon, the American arm of the giant French food company Danone, has faced stiff competition in its yogurt business in recent years from newcomers like Chobani and Noosa. Under the leadership of Emmanuel Faber, its chief executive, Danone has cut costs, reformulated products to reduce sugar and worked to improve sales of its baby formulas and nutritional supplements in overseas markets. Its sales in the first quarter of this year grew 3.5 percent, adjusted for swings in currency, to $6 billion, in part thanks to a recovery in its North American unit's sales.