Bel Group at a glance: products and the EPD reality
Bel Group sits behind bel.com and names you see in every grocery aisle: The Laughing Cow, Babybel, Boursin, Kiri, and fruit pouches like GoGo squeeZ. They are a global food company, not a construction supplier. That matters for Environmental Product Declarations, because EPDs unlock specs for buildings, while branded cheeses rarely show up in construction bid books. Here is how their portfolio maps to EPDs, and what teams should do if a customer asks for one.
Who Bel Group is, in one bite
Bel is a multinational snack and dairy company with roughly 30 production sites serving 120+ countries. Sales reached €3.74 billion in 2024, with growth led by Babybel, Boursin, Kiri and fruit snacks in key markets including the United States (Group Bel, 2025) (Annual Financial Information 2024). Their sustainability commitments are housed on the corporate site rather than bel.com, which functions as a brand gateway.
What they sell and how focused the range is
Core categories are portion cheeses, cheese spreads, mini cheese snacks, plant‑based cheese alternatives under legacy brands, and fruit pouches for on‑the‑go snacking. Across flavors, formats, markets, and multipacks, the SKU count lands in the hundreds globally. This is a consumer packaged goods portfolio rather than a building‑product lineup, so the usual “one PCR per MasterFormat division” playbook does not apply.
EPD coverage today
We did not find product‑specific EPDs for Bel’s branded cheeses, plant‑based alternatives, or fruit snacks in the major public EPD registers used for buildings as of November 26, 2025. That is not unusual for food. EPDs are designed for construction and industrial products, where architects and contractors need verified, comparable data to keep project carbon accounting accurate. For food, buyers more often request product carbon footprints or corporate emissions targets instead of EN 15804 style EPDs.
Where Bel does have credible numbers
Bel publicly targets a 25% absolute reduction in full value‑chain GHG emissions from 2017 to 2035, a 45% cut in water withdrawals at factories over the same period, and zero deforestation risk across defined raw materials by 2025 (Group Bel, 2025) (Climate, Water, Biodiversity). For stakeholder conversations, these figures answer many sustainability questionnaires even when an EPD is not the right instrument.
Are there gaps relative to EPDs?
Yes, if a customer mistakenly expects construction‑grade disclosures for foods. Bel does not sell flooring, glazing, HVAC, or coatings that drive building EPD demand. If a retail or foodservice account asks for an EPD, clarify scope first. Often they really want a verified product carbon footprint for a hero SKU such as Mini Babybel Original or Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs, plus packaging specs and recycling guidance. That distinction saves weeks of wasted motion and keeps you in the conversation instead of chasing the wrong document.
Competitors and the “spec” reality
Bel’s competitive set is Kraft Heinz for spreadables, Lactalis for portion cheeses, Arla for dairy alternatives in some channels, and private labels. None of these are chosen by architects in Division 09 or 23 specifcations. In education, healthcare, and workplace dining, procurement leans toward menu nutrition, cost, and verified climate data. Having a recent, third‑party‑reviewed product carbon footprint can nudge selection when buyers award points for credible disclosures even if they never ask for an EN 15804 EPD.
When an EPD could make sense
Two edge cases can bring EPDs back into play. First, if Bel ever commercializes equipment or fixtures with the Bel brand, like refrigerated merchandisers or permanent retail displays, those are construction‑adjacent categories where EPDs exist. Second, if Bel manufactures primary or secondary packaging components in‑house at scale, packaging EPDs can support retail RFPs. In both scenarios, pick a partner who handles the data wrangling end‑to‑end, aligns the right PCR from day one, and publishes with the program operator your customer prefers. Speed plus completeness wins.
The takeaway for teams
Bel is a consumer food powerhouse with hundreds of SKUs across cheese, plant‑based, and fruit snacks. EPDs are not the norm for these products. Lead with Bel’s public climate targets and a crisp product carbon footprint for priority SKUs, link to the corporate sustainability page for credibility, and reserve EPDs for packaging or equipment if those lines emerge. That keeps sales moving, avoids paperwork detours, and protects margin where it counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bel Group need EPDs for its cheeses to sell into schools or hospitals?
Usually no. Foodservice buyers more often request product carbon footprints and corporate targets rather than EN 15804 EPDs for construction products.
How many product SKUs does Bel roughly manage worldwide?
Across formats, flavors, and pack sizes, it sits in the hundreds globally.
What sustainability metrics does Bel publish that help with questionnaires?
A 25% absolute Scope 1–3 reduction target by 2035 versus 2017, a 45% factory water withdrawal reduction target, and zero deforestation risk by 2025 for select raw materials (Group Bel, 2025).
About the Author
Eric works at the intersection of sustainability, regulation, and business strategy, helping manufacturers navigate the evolving landscape of EPDs and LCAs. Having spoken with hundreds of teams across North America, brings a deep understanding of what drives ROI, what regulators are asking for, and how companies can stay ahead with smart, scalable approaches to environmental reporting.
