Innocent has defended its decision to sell a stake of its business to Coca-Cola.

Innocent has sold a “minority stake” – reportedly between 10% and 20% – of its business to The Coca-Cola Company, in a deal worth £30 million.

The healthy natural product company, which manufactures 100% pure fruit smoothies, veg pots and not-from-concentrate orange juice, has defended its decision to sell to a global conglomerate by saying the move will help its products reach more people, both in the UK and internationally.

It is not the first such company to sell either a stake or the entire business to a corporate giant – in 2000, Unilever bought ice cream makers Ben & Jerry’s, while in 2005 Cadbury bought organic chocolate maker Green & Black’s.

Richard Reed, co-founder of innocent, said: “Every promise that innocent has made –about making only natural healthy products, pioneering the use of better, socially and environmentally aware ingredients, packaging and production techniques, donating money to charity and having a point of view on the world – will remain. We’ll just get to do them even more.

“They [Coca-Cola] have been in business for over 120 years, so there will be things we can learn from them. And in some small ways, we may be able to influence their thinking too.”

The company was set up ten years ago in April 1999, when three friends made smoothies to sell at a jazz festival. The feedback they received from customers encouraged them to set up the business, which aims to be socially and environmentally responsible.

Today, innocent employs more than 250 people in 13 countries, and boasts a turnover of more than £100m. As the number one smoothies brand in the UK, it donates 10% of its profits every year to charity.

Commenting on the deal, James Quincey, Group Business Unit President for Coca-Cola Europe, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to invest in innocent’s future. We have long admired their brand, their products and their unique approach to business.”

Innocent shareholders will not receive any of the invested cash from this deal.