Babybel

{{Short description|Brand of small snack cheese from France}}{{Infobox cheese|name=Babybel|image=[[File:Babybel WikiCheese 04 Lokal K.jpg|border|300px]]|alt=Mini Babybel cheeses|country=[[France]] (produced worldwide)|source=[[Cow]]|certification=Trademarked [[brand]] name|texture=Semi-hard|pasteurised=Yes|image_size=}} '''Mini Babybel''' is a brand of small snack [[cheese]] products that are individually packaged and available in various flavours. It is a product of {{langnf|fr|[[Bel Group|Le Groupe Bel]]|The Bel Group}}, a company with roots in the [[Jura Mountains|Jura region]] of [[France]], started by [[Jules Bel]] in 1865.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=A Behind the Scenes Look at the Bel Saga |url=https://www.groupe-bel.com/en/group/company-history/ |website=Le Groupe Bel}}</ref> Half of the global production of Mini Babybel is made in [[Évron]], a [[Communes of France|commune]] in the northwest of France.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Robin |first=Claire |date=2018-08-08 |title=Agroalimentaire. Bel voit grand pour son mini Babybel en Mayenne |work=Ouest-France |url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/evron-53600/evron-bel-voit-grand-pour-son-mini-babybel-5915354 |access-date=2020-04-24}}</ref>

In the [[United States]], ''Le Groupe Bel'' produces the Mini Babybel cheeses in [[Kentucky]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hall |first=Trish |date=1987-04-22 |title=American Beckons to Foreign Foods |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/22/garden/american-beckons-to-foreign-foods.html |access-date=2018-03-13}}</ref> In March 2016, Bel Brands USA opened a new plant in [[Brookings, South Dakota]]. (The plant and Original Babybel production was shown in a segment of the documentary series Food Factory USA). At the time, Bel Brands projected that its 250 employees would produce 1.5 million Mini Babybel cheese wheels per day.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Associated Press |date=2016-03-05 |title=Brookings Mini Babybel cheese plant part of South Dakota push to boost dairies, milk products |url=https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/brookings-mini-babybel-cheese-plant-part-of-south-dakota-push-to-boost-dairies-milk-products |website=Fox Business}}</ref> In July 2018, {{lang|fr|Le Groupe Bel}} announced that the company had 12,700 employees in 30 subsidiaries around the world and that their first Canadian production facility would be in [[Quebec]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=The Canadian Press |date=2018-07-13 |title=First Canadian Mini Babybel plant to be built in Quebec |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4329762/mini-babybel-plant-quebec/ |website=Global News}}</ref>

==Products== The "Original", most popular,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-04-27 |title=Mini Babybel® Original |url=https://www.babybel.gr/el-gr/mini-babybel%C2%AE-original |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Babybel Greece |language=el-gr}}</ref> Mini Babybel is an [[Edam cheese|Edam]]-style cheese made from [[Pasteurization|pasteurised milk]], [[rennet| vegetarian rennet]], [[Lactic acid fermentation|lactic ferments]], and [[salt]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=FAQS |url=https://babybel.co.uk/faqs-and-contact/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Babybel UK |language=en-GB}}</ref> It is made using traditional Edam-making processes, except that rennet from vegetarian – rather than animal – sources is used. It is also naturally lactose-free.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Arla Foods amba |title=Edam {{!}} Everything you need to know about Edam cheese |url=https://www.castellocheese.com/en-gb/cheese-types/semi-hard-cheese/edam-cheese/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Castello Cheese |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Mini Babybel is known for its packaging, consisting of a netted bag in which each piece of cheese is encased in a blend of colored [[paraffin wax|paraffin]] and [[microcrystalline wax|microcrystalline]] wax,<ref name="wax">{{cite web |last= |date=2016-01-26 |title=FAQ |url=https://www.minibabybel.ca/en-ca/faq-0 |access-date=2022-01-26 |website=Babybel Canada |publisher=}}</ref> inside of a cellophane wrapper made of wood pulp, cotton, or "other vegetation".<ref name=":0" />

[[File:Mmbover cheesedisk.jpg|thumb|right|The red wax encasement being removed from a Babybel cheese]]

=== Flavors (with corresponding wrapping colors) === [[File:Babybel plant-based vegan cheese.jpg|thumb|Babybel plant-based cheese]] {| class="wikitable sortable" !Flavor !Color !References/comments |- | "Original" [[Edam cheese|Edam]] | Red (all locations) | |- | "Light" Edam | Red, with light blue stripe on red cellophane (all locations) | Sponsored by [[WeightWatchers]] in Canada<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Hungry Girl Goes... In Search of "2 for 1" Snacks (PointsPlus® Bargain Combos!) |url=https://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=108041&sc=3010 |access-date=2019-04-09 |website=Weight Watchers}}</ref> |- |[[Organic food|Organic]] Edam | * Light Green and White, with "Bio" in green letters (Belgium, France, Netherlands, Portugal, United Kingdom) * Light Green and Red, with "Bio" in green letters (Slovakia) |[[Vegetarianism|Vegetarian]] |- |[[Cheddar cheese|Cheddar]] | * Black (Canada, United States) * Orange (Australia – discontinued) * Purple (Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Norway, Slovakia, Spain – discontinued, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom) | <ref name="minibabybelca">{{Cite web |title=Mini Babybel: The perfect snack |url=https://www.minibabybel.ca/en-ca/products |access-date=2019-04-09 |website=Babybel Canada}}</ref> |- | [[Emmental cheese|Emmental]] | Yellow (Belgium, Canada – discontinued, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Slovakia, Spain – discontinued, United Kingdom, United States - discontinued) | |- | [[Gruyère cheese|Gruyere]] | Yellow (Canada, Switzerland) | <ref name="minibabybelca" /> |- | [[Goat's cheese]] | Green (Canada – discontinued, France – discontinued, Ireland – discontinued, United Kingdom – discontinued) | |- | [[Gouda cheese|Gouda]] | * Brown/Orange (Canada, Germany, Norway – discontinued, United States) * Yellow (Ireland – discontinued, United Kingdom – discontinued) | |- |[[Monterey Jack]] |Turquoise (United States) |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Babybel Monterey Jack Cheese {{!}} Babybel® |url=https://babybel.com/product/mini-babybel-monterey-jack/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Babybel USA |language=en-US}}</ref> |- | [[Mozzarella cheese|Mozzarella]] | Green (United States, Canada – discontinued, Greece – discontinued) | <ref name="minibabybelca" /> |- | "Sharp Original" (cheese type unknown) | Magenta (United States) | |- |"High Protein" |Black (Australia, Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Italy – discontinued, Netherlands – discontinued, Portugal, Norway) | |- |[[Vegan cheese|Plant-Based Cheese]] |Green wax, green wrap with leaves (Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States) |[[Vegan]]. Appears in a pouch instead of a net bag. Made with a "blend of coconut oil and starch".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Babybel® Plant-Based |url=https://babybel.co.uk/product/babybel-plant-based/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Bel UK |language=en-GB}}</ref> |- |Plant-Based "White Cheddar" |Green wax, dark green wrap with leaves (United States) |Vegan. Appears in a pouch instead of a net bag. Made with coconut oil and starch.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plant-Based White Cheddar Cheese {{!}} Babybel® |url=https://babybel.com/product/babybel-plant-based-white-cheddar/ |access-date=2023-08-27 |website=Babybel USA |language=en-US}}</ref> |}

==Advertising== An advertising [[jingle]] associated with the product plays on the lyrics of the song "[[Barbara Ann]]" by [[The Regents (doo-wop band)|The Regents]]. Use of said jingle started in [[France]] in the end of the 1970s, and then emerged to other parts of [[Europe]] and French-Canada by the start of the 1990s. They tout the product as an "always on the go and ready for anything" snack cheese.

The advertising for Babybel in the UK in the late 1990s and early 2000s had the slogan "Too tasty to share".

As of 2012, a recording of the song "Get in Line" by [[I'm from Barcelona]] has been used in their adverts, where the band rerecorded the song with a children's choir. In August 2012, there was controversy over its promotional use of the French slogan "Des vacances de malade mental" ("having a mental holiday", or literally "holidaying like a mentally ill person") which was deemed offensive to people with learning difficulties or mental illnesses.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chrisafis |first=Angelique |date=2012-08-08 |title=Babybel maker apologises for 'clumsy' gaffe |newspaper=The Guardian (UK) |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/08/babybel-france |access-date=2013-11-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=9 August 2012 |title=Campaigners call for Babybel boycott after mental illness 'insult' |newspaper=The Independent (UK) |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/campaigners-call-for-babybel-boycott-after-mental-illness-insult-8026685.html |access-date=2013-11-28}}</ref>

In January 2026, Babybel teamed up with American music producer [[Timbaland]] to produce limited edition 3-inch vinyl records, Mini Wax Tracks, featuring pop and EDM remixes of the latter's song "I'm Your Baby".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/babybel-teams-up-with-timbaland-for-exclusive-mini-wax-tracks-music-drop-302666799.html|title=Babybel® Teams up with Timbaland for Exclusive Mini Wax Tracks Music Drop|website=PR Newswire|date=January 21, 2026|accessdate=January 24, 2026}}</ref> Timbaland said of the collaboration, "Working with Babybel on Mini Wax Tracks was just pure fun. I wanted to keep the playful energy of "I'm Your Baby" while adding my own sound. It’s creative, unexpected, and all about bringing good energy to something small but mighty."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thepopinsider.com/timbaland-babybel-mini-wax-tracks-news/|title=Babybel and Timbaland Join Forces for Mini Wax Tracks Vinyl|website=The Pop Insider|last=Pelletier|first=Ashley|date=January 21, 2026|accessdate=January 24, 2026}}</ref>

== References == <references />

==External links== {{Commons category| }} * Babybel websites: [https://www.babybel.fr/ France], [https://www.babybel.co.uk/ United Kingdom], [https://www.babybel.nl/ Netherlands], [https://www.minibabybel.ca/en-ca Canada], [https://www.babybel.com/en-us United States] * [https://www.groupe-bel.com/en/ Groupe Bel official website]

[[Category:French cheeses]] [[Category:Cow's-milk cheeses]] [[Category:Products introduced in 1952]] [[Category:Brand name dairy products]] [[Category:French brands]]