Babybel
Mini Babybel is a small Edam-style snack cheese from Le Groupe Bel of France, sold as individually waxed wheels in a netted bag. It is made with pasteurised milk and vegetarian rennet, and it is naturally lactose-free.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | France |
| Specific Origin | France |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Rind | Waxed |
| Texture | Semi-hard |
| Colors | Colored wax exterior |
| Forms | Small individually waxed wheels in netted bags |
| Rennet Type | Vegetable |
| Also Known As | Mini Babybel |
What is Babybel Cheese?
Mini Babybel comes from Le Groupe Bel, a French company started by Jules Bel in 1865 with roots in the Jura region. Half of the global production is made in Évron, a commune in northwest France.
Production later spread. Le Groupe Bel makes Mini Babybel in Kentucky for the United States, and in March 2016 Bel Brands USA opened a plant in Brookings, South Dakota, where 250 employees were projected to produce 1.5 million wheels per day. In 2018 the company announced its first Canadian facility, in Quebec.
The Original is an Edam-style cheese made from pasteurised milk, vegetarian rennet, lactic ferments and salt. It uses traditional Edam-making processes, with the rennet coming from vegetarian rather than animal sources. The cheese is naturally lactose-free.
Each piece is encased in a blend of colored paraffin and microcrystalline wax, then wrapped in cellophane made of wood pulp, cotton or other vegetation, and sold in a netted bag. Wrapper colors correspond to the flavour.
Advertising has pitched it as a snack that is always on the go and ready for anything, and a UK campaign in the late 1990s used the slogan "Too tasty to share". Alongside the mini wheels, Bel has sold rolls, slices, the larger Babybel Maxi, and a probiotic version in Australia.
How Does Babybel Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Babybel against.
