▁like ▁the ▁image ▁that ▁prev ails ▁today . ▁The ▁blue ▁and ▁white ▁stri pes ▁around ▁the ▁box ▁date ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 5 . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 7 6 ▁both ▁ear - tag ▁boxes ▁have ▁been ▁shown ▁with ▁the ▁top - side ▁visible . ▁Before ▁that ▁year ▁consum ers ▁were ▁shown ▁a ▁top ▁and ▁bottom ▁side . ▁The ▁current ▁logo ▁uses ▁the ▁Dro ste ▁effect , ▁with ▁the ▁la ughing ▁cow ▁appearing ▁inside ▁the ▁ear ▁tags . ▁ ▁World wide ▁popular ity ▁It ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁popular ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁and ▁Canada ▁as ▁a ▁children ' s ▁sn ack . ▁The ▁che ese ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁a ▁constant , ▁but ▁hardly ▁popular , ▁product ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁for ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁years . ▁However , ▁demand ▁for ▁the ▁tri angular ▁wed ges ▁has ▁increased ▁significantly ▁recently , ▁since ▁the ▁light ▁version ▁of ▁the ▁product ▁was ▁suggested ▁as ▁a ▁vi able ▁menu ▁item ▁to ▁follow ers ▁of ▁the ▁South ▁Beach ▁Diet . ▁The ▁question ▁asked ▁by ▁the ▁French , ▁" P our qu oi ▁La ▁V ache ▁Qu i ▁R it ▁rit ?" ▁(" Why ▁is ▁The ▁L aug hing ▁Cow ▁la ughing ? ") ▁has ▁become ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁the ▁product . ▁ ▁Gr oupe ▁Bel ▁announced ▁on ▁October ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁that ▁they ▁plan ▁to ▁open ▁a ▁ 1 3 ▁million ▁Euro ▁factory ▁in ▁Sy ria . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁such ▁direct ▁invest ment ▁in ▁that ▁nation ▁by ▁a ▁French ▁food