Frederic Melton
Babybel is a brand of small, snack-sized cheese products that are individually packaged and available in various flavours. The original flavour is a mild, creamy, and nutty Edam-style cheese, made from pasteurised milk, rennet, lactic ferments, and salt. Babybel is produced by Le Groupe Bel, a company with roots in the Jura region of France, started by Jules Bel in 1865. The cheese is known for its distinctive packaging, with each piece encased in a blend of coloured paraffin and microcrystalline wax, inside a netted bag. But is Babybel cheese hormone-free?
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What You'll Learn
Babybel Original is hormone-free
Babybel Original is a semi-soft cheese with a signature red wax coating, made from pasteurised milk, rennet, lactic ferments, and salt. It is produced by Le Groupe Bel, a company with roots in the Jura region of France, started by Jules Bel in 1865. The Original flavour is inspired by Edam cheese and is the most popular variety. It has a mild, creamy taste and is often enjoyed as a snack with crackers or pretzels.
The process of making Babybel Original involves adding lactic ferments and salt to the pasteurised milk and allowing it to culture. The cultured milk is then heated and stirred until it forms curds, which are cut and drained of excess liquid. The curds are then pressed into small, round shapes and coated in wax. This production method ensures a high-quality, semi-soft cheese that is perfect for snacking.
Babybel Original is a good source of protein and calcium, providing essential nutrients while being free from artificial hormones. It is also suitable for lacto-vegetarian diets as it uses rennet from vegetarian sources rather than animal sources. The cheese is individually packaged and marketed as a fun and playful snack, making it a popular choice for children's lunchboxes or on-the-go snacking.
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Babybel Plant-Based is hormone-free
Babybel is a brand of small, snack-sized cheese products that are individually packaged and available in various flavours. The original flavour is a mild, creamy, and nutty Edam-style cheese, made from pasteurised milk, rennet, lactic ferments, and salt. Each piece of cheese is encased in a blend of coloured paraffin and microcrystalline wax, inside a netted bag or cellophane wrapper.
Babybel offers a range of flavours, including Original, Light, Gouda, Mozzarella, White Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Plant-Based varieties. The Original flavour, inspired by Edam cheese, is the most popular variety. It has a mild, creamy taste and is often enjoyed as a snack with crackers or pretzels.
Babybel Plant-Based is a certified plant-based, non-GMO project-verified, and certified vegan dairy-free cheese alternative. It has a soft, smooth, and creamy texture, similar to mozzarella, and is perfect for anyone looking for a cheese alternative for their next vegan cheeseboard or a quick vegan snack. This plant-based, vegan snack cheese is a good source of calcium and Vitamin B12 and is packed with goodness.
Babybel Original is a semi-soft, mild, creamy, and delicious snack cheese. It is made using traditional Edam-making processes, with a few differences. Firstly, Babybel is made with pasteurised milk, while traditional Edam uses raw milk. Secondly, Babybel uses rennet from vegetarian sources, rather than animal sources, making it suitable for lacto-vegetarian diets. Babybel Original is 100% real cheese with no artificial growth hormones, artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.
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Babybel Light is hormone-free
Babybel is a brand of small, snack-sized cheese products that are individually packaged and available in various flavours. The original flavour is a mild, creamy, and nutty Edam-style cheese, made from pasteurised milk, rennet, lactic ferments, and salt. Each piece of cheese is encased in a blend of coloured paraffin and microcrystalline wax, inside a netted bag or cellophane wrapper.
Babybel offers a range of flavours, including Original, Light, Gouda, Mozzarella, White Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Plant-Based varieties. The Original flavour, inspired by Edam cheese, is the most popular variety. It has a mild, creamy taste and is often enjoyed as a snack with crackers or pretzels.
Babybel Light is a reduced-fat version of the original Babybel cheese, offering the same great creamy taste with 50% less fat. Like the original variety, Babybel Light is also 100% real cheese, containing no artificial growth hormones, artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.
Babybel's commitment to delivering high-quality, 100% real cheese is evident in both their original and Light varieties. The absence of artificial growth hormones in Babybel Light aligns with the brand's dedication to providing consumers with natural and wholesome cheese products. This makes Babybel Light a suitable option for those seeking hormone-free cheese alternatives without compromising on taste and quality.
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Babybel's production facilities
Babybel cheese is produced in several locations worldwide, with manufacturing plants in France, the United States, and Canada. The Bel Group, the company behind the Babybel brand, has its roots in the Jura region of France and was started by Jules Bel in 1865. The company has expanded internationally and now has multiple production sites dedicated to making Babybel cheese.
The original and primary production site for Babybel cheese is located in Évron, France. This facility blends cheese-making expertise with high technology and serves as a centre of technological excellence within the Bel Group. Half of the global production of Babybel cheese is manufactured at this site. The Evron plant inspired the design of the Brookings plant in the United States, which opened in 2014 to support the growing demand for Babybel cheese in the American market.
The Bel Group's expansion to the United States included the establishment of production sites in Brookings, South Dakota, Leitchfield, Kentucky, and Little Chute, Wisconsin. The Brookings plant was built to replicate the Evron facility, adapting to American standards and utilising advanced technology. The Kentucky plant, with over 11,000 employees, specifically produces Babybel cheese for the American market.
In addition to France and the United States, Babybel has expanded its production facilities to Canada. The company has recently launched a manufacturing plant in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, contributing to the economic development of the region. This Canadian plant is dedicated to producing Babybel cheese, with a notable portion of the cheese now being made in Canada.
The Bel Group's international growth strategy has been a key factor in the company's success, allowing them to balance growth opportunities and risks while locating their production facilities closer to consumer markets. With 28 to 33 production sites worldwide and a presence in multiple countries, the Bel Group has effectively expanded the reach of Babybel cheese globally.
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Babybel's history
Babybel is a brand of small, snack-sized, individually packaged cheeses produced by Le Groupe Bel (French for The Bel Group), which was started by Jules Bel in 1865 in the Jura region of France. The company made its start in America in 1970 by purchasing the Avalon Cheese plant in Leitchfield, Kentucky. The Leitchfield plant began producing Mini Babybel waxed semi-soft cheeses in 1974.
The "Original" Mini Babybel is the brand's most popular offering. It is an Edam-style cheese made from pasteurised milk, vegetarian rennet, lactic ferments, and salt. It is made using traditional Edam-making processes, except that the rennet is sourced from vegetarian sources rather than animal sources. It is also naturally lactose-free. The Original flavour is also available in a reduced-fat version, which offers the same creamy taste with 50% less fat.
Mini Babybel is known for its unique packaging, with each piece of cheese encased in a blend of coloured paraffin and microcrystalline wax, inside a netted bag and a cellophane wrapper made of wood pulp, cotton, or other vegetation. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Babybel was advertised in the UK with the slogan "Too tasty to share". In 2012, the brand began using a recording of the song "Get in Line" by I'm from Barcelona in their adverts, with the band re-recording the song with a children's choir.
In addition to its classic dairy cheese products, Babybel also offers a plant-based, vegan version of its Mini Babybel cheese, which is a good source of calcium and Vitamin B12.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Babybel Original Cheese is a 100% real cheese snack that has no artificial growth hormones, artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives.
Babybel Original Cheese is made from pasteurised milk, rennet, lactic ferments, and salt.
Yes, Babybel cheeses are suitable for lacto-vegetarian diets. They do not use rennet from animal origin in their products.
Yes, Babybel Plant-Based Cheese is a certified plant-based, non-GMO, and vegan treat. It is a dairy-free cheese alternative made without milk.
