Bel Groupe, a multinational cheese maker centred in France, has unveiled a new line of spreadable creamy cheese squares with the taste of Labneh.

The new Kiri Taste of Labneh Squares features a full body and fine tangy flavour, said a statement.

Kiri is widely recognised as the legendary square portion packed full of creamy cheese and this innovation brings together the known Kiri indulgence coupled with labneh freshness, it said.

Chloe Bernard, marketing manager, Middle East, said: “As leaders in the square cheese category with 80 per cent of market share, Kiri aims to remain a step ahead of the pack, leading the category with another innovation from the brand loved and enjoyed by families.

“With over 1.5 billion squares consumed per year, all Europe, Middle East and even Japan couldn’t resist the soft texture of these square portions of tender cheese, as well as its creamy indulgent taste.”

The GCC cheese market was worth 994,324 tonnes last year, with a growth of over six per cent per annum, she said.

“We believe we have a lot more room for innovation. This region’s population is young, exposed to multiple cultures and a melting pot of traditional food consumption habits and interest in blending food habits inter-regionally, making it a unique population with high interest to innovative cheese blends. KIRI Taste of Labneh is the fourth innovation made exclusively for this region from the brand and we expect more to come,” she added.

Kiri Taste of Labneh is the result of an intensive study of taste preferences of the consumers, including both adults and children, where 79 per cent of consumers said they wanted to buy the product after the blind taste test; and 84 per cent wanted to have it for breakfast, the statement added. - TradeArabia News Service