The Bel Group has announced a new collaborative research and development project to create authentic, fermented plant-based cheese with minimal processing. Read more: Dairy-Free Brand Swees Launches ‘World-First’ Vegan Cheese Sticks The multinational cheese giant will collaborate with the probiotic manufacturer Lallemand, agricultural consulting firm Protial, and agro-industrial group Avril for the project. Together, they plan to develop fermented and aged plant-based cheese that will satisfy the “growing consumer demand” for dairy-free products that replicate traditional options.
“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,” said Bel Group CEO Cécile Béliot in a statement . “Innovation is essential to the future of food.” The EUR €9 million “Cocagne Project” will take three years to complete.
It has already received support from the public sector investment bank Bpifrance as part of President Emmanuel Macron’s carbon neutrality-focused “ France 2030 ” program. Read more: Cathedral City Launches New Vegan Cheese Flavor Food is a ‘key lever’ for mitigating the climate crisis The Cocagne Project ties into the Bel Group’s plans to generate 50 percent of its sales from plant-based and fruit-based products by 2050. Last year, Bel Group began work with AI startup Climax Foods to deve.