BEL Cheese Spread Brands Switch to IML

Published: August 24, 2016

MALDEGEM, BELGIUM | Kiri and La Vache Qui Rit, two famous cheese spread brands of the Bel Group, have a brand new look thanks to Verstraete in mould labels. Stanislas Viaud, packaging development manager of the international cheese producer, explains, “Our aim was to surprise consumers with packaging shapes that had never been seen before and with a unique look and feel. Our re-branded cheese spread packaging had to look fresh and had stand out in comparison to traditional cheese spread packaging. It soon became clear that we could only achieve this with the IML technology.”

The BEL Group switched from thermoformed packaging with self-adhesive labels to IML packaging: packaging and labeling are now integrated into one whole. The shape of the packaging is unique in the cheese spread market in various ways. The packaging has rounded corners and an asymmetrical shape that has never been seen before. The various sizes ensure that everyone finds what they want within the product range: large and small families and consumers from various countries. The five sizes are: 200 g, 300 g, 350 g, 500 g and 700 g.

The new packaging was recently introduced in the Middle East and North Africa. The changeover has been a great success, since the BEL Group witnessed a jump in market share for the Kiri and La Vache Qui Rit cheese spread brands in terms of sales volumes and the number of outlets. This testifies to the huge difference that the new IML cheese spread packaging makes on shop shelves. The unique shape and the superior print quality of the IML labels are eye-catching and they focus on the high quality of the cheese spreads.

Technical innovation with challenges

Benedict Adins, regional sales manager Southern Europe at Verstraete IML, explains the various technical challenges that they faced when designing this groundbreaking IML packaging: “What was required was an IML label that covered the packaging and the lid and yet concealed the white of the packaging - both to the maximum extent possible. Not the most obvious thing to do for packaging with an asymmetric shape and round corners. But we ultimately succeeded with IML technology, thanks to our excellent collaboration with our partners.”

Injection moulder Herplast adds: ‘The complex design required by Bel’s marketing department presented a huge challenge. However, the expertise in IML that we have accumulated over the years together with our partners enabled us to create a highly true-to-life concept that matched exactly with the idea our customer had in mind.’

IML is much more flexible than other decorative techniques. You can easily adjust the format of the label to the packaging. You can even change the artwork quickly during the production process. The BEL Group also limited the number of colors per design to enable the combination of various designs during the printing process. An intelligent move that saved the cheese spread producer a lot of money.

Why is IML not only the most qualitative but also the most budget-friendly choice? With IML, the production and labeling of a packaging all takes place in one movement. This eliminates the costs of storage, transport and (post-production) labeling. An added plus? IML is environmentally friendly: both the packaging as well as the label are of 100% recyclable polypropylene.

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