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Bel Group and Superbrewed Food have entered into a strategic partnership to create a line of cheese products incorporating SuperBrewed's postbiotic cultured protein. The maker of Babybel, The Laughing Cow and Boursin says the partnership is part of its strategy to develop dairy and plant-based foods to meet current and future food challenges. Bel selected Superbrewed's protein ingredient due to its quality, lower environmental impact and functionality. The protein is nutrient-rich, contains all nine essential amino acids, and is made from microflora found in nature that converts plant fibres. The protein will be ready to ship from Superbrewed's Delaware, US, facility in the first half of 2023, upon which Bel will develop a line of products using its expertise in the cheese category. Bel Group chief venture officer, Caroline Sorlin, said: “Pursuing our mission to offer healthy snacks for all, Bel innovates to support the changes in nutritional needs and meet the challenges of a sustainable diet for an ever-growing world population. We are very happy to enter this exclusive collaboration, which is a testament to our pioneering role and acceleration of disruptive technologies." She continued: "As a family business, we are also proud to have adopted an 'open collaboration' model with over 100 partners, including start-ups, to stimulate and scale up their innovations and so prepare the future of food”. Bel Group research and application director, Anne Pitkowski, said: “We are accelerating on biomass fermentation at the R&D level for its environmental, nutritional and accessibility benefits, without compromising on taste and pleasure. Thus, we are very happy to work hand-in-hand with best-in-class startup Superbrewed Food and to be able to offer promising product innovations to consumers.”