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INNOVATING ON BEHALF OF THE CONSUMER
Innovating and
constantly improving
Innovating is the basic act of creating and developing at Bel. Innovation concerns all 11,400 Group
employees and encompasses all sectors of activity.
In 1921, the birth of The Laughing Cow ®
necessitated a multitude of successful
innovations to bring dairy goodness
to a wider population, including
innovations in the recipe,
the manufacturing process, the
preservation method, advertising, etc.
Today, all of these areas remain open
at Bel, to continue innovating and
to better fulfi ll its mission.
Innovation in Bel’s DNA
New recipes remain the most visible side
of innovation. The brand review on pages
12 to 15 of this report provides a few
examples of innovations introduced
in 2011, such as Leerdammer ® fl avored
cheese slices or Boursin ® Apéritif.
Often, these innovations are the result
of years of research and development.
In 2011, product innovations, i.e.,
products launched within the past
three years, accounted for 8% of
the Group’s total sales.
Bel expects this share to grow in the years
ahead. More broadly, innovations offer
Bel a way to constantly improve its
product offering and the benefi t
for consumers.
Nutrition according to Bel
The ”Nutrition and Responsible
Products” pillar of the Group’s
CSR process reflects Bel’s
ongoing drive to design
products whose nutritional
benefits are adapted
to consumer needs.
At a time when consumers
are increasingly concerned
about the content and
quality of the food they eat
— and legitimately so —
22 • 2011 Bel Group
nutrition is a vital
challenge.
One priority for Bel
is to optimize the
nutritional quality and
profile of its products
aimed at children,
regardless of brand.
Three main areas of
focus include lowering
salt and fat content,
while optimizing
micronutrients like
calcium and certain vitamins
(see the interview on page 23
and best practices on page 25).
Bel has also invested heavily in raising
awareness and providing information
about nutrition, both internally through
its marketing teams and externally through
doctors, pediatricians, nutritionists,
schools, and other partners involved in
advising consumers.
In another nutrition related area,
the Group is also strengthening the natural
qualities of its products by reducing the
additives they contain, such as colorants,
emulsifi ers and preservatives.
Although without risk to consumers and
controlled by regulations, additives are
negatively viewed in some countries.
In 2011, Bel was named
“Manufacturer of the year”
in the Nutrition-Health
category by “Process
Alimentaire” magazine.