French cheese maker Groupe Bel has booked an increase in full-year profits, despite a “slowing” European economy and “unrest” in the Middle East.

Net profit in the 12 months to the end of December climbed 33.6% to EUR128m (US$164.9m). Operating income totalled EUR211m, up 24% versus the previous year.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Bel attributed the profit gains to “robust sales growth” achieved in Africa and the fruit of restructuring efforts in Eastern Europe.

Sales in western Europe, Bel’s largest region, inched up 0.4%, although profits increased 13%.

The company’s “near and Middle East” unit reported flat sales and it only broke-even amid asset impairments and the suspension of its operations in Syria.

Sales and profits from Bel’s unit that combines its businesses in the Americas and Asia-Pacific were up.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Group sales were up 4.8% to EUR2.65bn.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact