Cheese giant Bel Group is to work with fellow French food group Avril on developing plant-based products that “match the taste, texture and natural appeal consumers demand”.

The companies are teaming up with Lallemand and Protial on a research and development project aiming to create “original, minimally processed, and environmentally friendly plant-based options that deliver on taste, nutrition and sustainability".

Bel is one of the world's largest cheese makers and home to brands including Boursin and The Laughing Cow. The group sells cheese "alternatives" in Europe and North America to meet what it says is "strong consumer demand for plant-based and alternative products".

The market for plant-based cheese has lagged those of other dairy alternatives in part due to the taste of products.

In a statement, Bel said the three-year project is aiming to "satisfy growing consumer demand for plant-based products that replicate the sensory appeal of traditional cheese, including taste, texture, and natural quality".

"By leveraging advanced fermentation and ageing processes, the project aspires to create plant-based alternatives that redefine consumption moments, enhancing nutritional density and organoleptic properties," the company told Just Food.

Bel and Avril plan to develop European-grown crops for plant-based products, selecting plants with low environmental impact and high nutritional, textural, and sensory qualities.

Bel’s plant-based versions of its “flagship brands” include The Laughing Cow Plant-Based and Mini Babybel Plant-Based in the US and UK.

In its statement to Just Food, Bel said the plant species "remain confidential at this stage". It added: "Selected plants will exhibit low water, input requirements and offer intrinsic benefits such as high nutritional value, texturing properties and appealing organoleptic characteristics: for example, proteins, fibres, colour and flavour."

In April last year, Bel Group joined forces with AI-powered start-up Climax Foods to develop plant-based versions of its brands.

Bel's cheese alternatives contribute a "modest" amount to the group's cheese sales but the company is aiming to generate half its sales from "plant-based and fruit-based products" by 2050. The company's portfolio also includes France's MOM Group, which includes fruit purées and jams in its product range.