BEL Group invests in IML technology for attractive packaging

Kiri and La Vache Qui Rit, two famous cheese spread brands of the BEL Group, have a brand new look after the company made the switch from thermoformed packaging with self-adhesive labels to IML packaging where packaging and labelling 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.

Stanislas Viaud, Packaging Development Manager of the international cheese producer BEL Group 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 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 reflects the big difference that the new IML cheese spread packaging makes on shop shelves given the unique shape and the superior print quality of the IML labels.  .

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 molder Herplast stated that BEL's requirement presented a huge challenge. With expertise in IML, Herplast and its partners were able to create a highly true-to-life concept that matched exactly the idea of the customer.  

Flexibility is the key  
IML is much more flexible than other decorative techniques as it allows for easy adjustment of the format of the label to the packaging. It is also possible to 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 labelling of a packaging all takes place in one movement. This eliminates the costs of storage, transport and (post-production) labelling. An added plus is that IML is environmentally friendly: both the packaging as well as the label are of 100% recyclable polypropylene.