Bel is teaming up with food industry partners Avril, Lallemand and Protial to drive the development of improved fermented and aged plant-based cheese alternatives.

The three-year R&D initiative, Cocagne Project, is the result of a €9 million investment. It aims to deliver original, minimally processed and environmentally friendly plant-based cheese options that deliver on taste, nutrition and sustainability.

By exploring advanced fermentation and aging processes, cheese specialist Bel aims to enhance the consumer experience, offering plant-based alternatives that match the taste, texture and natural appeal consumers are demanding.

The project has launched at Bel’s R&D centre in Vendôme, France, with support from Bpifrance under the France 2030 programme.

Innovation at the Vendôme site, which employs a team of 80 R&D experts, is driven by product innovation, creating new taste experiences and recipe enhancements, sustainable packaging development, and exploring plant-based alternatives.

Bel will invest €7.5 million over the next three years to enhance the Vendôme facility, expanding innovation capabilities by modernising the site’s infrastructure. This will include redesigned pilot spaces, laboratories, larger prototyping zones, collaborative workspaces and dedicated areas for hosting partners to foster open innovation.

Additionally, renovated offices and conference areas at the site will aim to improve working conditions for team members.

Cécile Béliot, CEO of Bel, said: “In a time when the agri-food industry faces urgent challenges around resource preservation and planetary limits, Bel is committed to offering more sustainable food without compromising on nutrition or taste”.

“Innovation is essential to the future of food. That’s why Bel is investing €7.5 million to expand the Vendôme global site, accelerating the development of new products to keep the group at the forefront of responsible innovation.”

Bel’s work toward developing alternative proteins through fermentation includes strategic partnerships with start-ups such as Standing Ovation and Superbrewed, as well as universities like Wageningen University in the Netherlands.

The company’s brands include The Laughing Cow, Boursin, Babybel and Nurishh among others. The company has ramped up its innovation in dairy-free alternatives in recent years, having just this month launched a revamped plant-based version of its classic Boursin Garlic & Herb cheese into UK retail.

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