For a Christmas dish or dessert, choose coconut milk intended for cooking. First check that the ingredients and any precautionary allergen information meet your guests’ specific dietary requirements. Then compare formats and ingredients to suit your recipe. A short ingredient list makes the label easier to read, but doesn’t guarantee that the product is free from all allergens or traces.
For a Christmas dish or dessert, you’re looking for coconut milk for cooking, not a plant-based drink. Check the ingredients and information on the packaging of the product you buy, especially if one of your guests has a milk allergy.
Whether you’re making a sauce, a topping or a dessert, you’ll want to compare ingredients and nutritional information before choosing a format that suits the quantity you need.
Check with your guests which allergen they need to avoid and whether they need to avoid traces, too. The ingredients list alone isn’t enough to determine whether coconut milk is suitable for every allergy.
When sharing a meal, check that the product meets your guests’ dietary requirements before choosing ingredients and a format to suit your recipe.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary exclusion | Identify the allergen to avoid, then check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any precautionary allergen information on the packaging. | If a guest needs to avoid milk or another specific allergen, I need to be able to check the product I buy before cooking. Around 50% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Ingredients for your recipe | Check the proportion of coconut extract, any stabilisers and the fat content. Compare nutritional values on the same basis, per 100 g or per 100 ml. | For a sauce or dessert, I’m looking for ingredients that suit the result I want, without judging the texture by a single figure. Around 33% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Format and storage | Work out how much you need, then check the storage instructions and how long the product will keep once opened. | If I’m only making a small amount, I want to avoid leftovers that I won’t be able to use in time. Around 17% of consumers prioritise format and storage. |
A plant-based product won’t automatically meet every dietary requirement, especially when a guest needs to avoid traces.
Ask which allergen needs to be avoided and check the information on the packaging of the product you buy. For pre-packed foods, the DGCCRF advises that regulated allergens used as ingredients must be highlighted.
The ingredients in the products listed by Auchan and Carrefour differ, particularly in the proportion of coconut extract and whether they contain stabilisers.
To compare two products, read their ingredients and nutritional information. A value per 100 g can’t be compared directly with a value per 100 ml.
If the container is too large for your recipe, you’ll need to use the leftovers within the time stated after opening.
Estimate how much you need before buying, and follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
A culinary organic coconut milk in a 20 cl carton.
Sterilised coconut milk in a 400 ml can.
UHT coconut milk for cooking, sold in a pack of three 20 cl cartons.
Coconut milk in a resealable 330 ml carton, suitable for savoury and sweet recipes.
These coconut milks for cooking come in a range of formats for your Christmas recipes. Don’t assume that any of them meet a specific dietary requirement without checking the packaging of the product you buy.
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The 165 ml format may suit a recipe that calls for a small amount of coconut milk. Check the ingredients and any information about the allergen in question on the can you buy.
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Consider the 400 ml container if your recipe needs more than a small format provides. Check the packaging for ingredients, precautionary allergen information and storage instructions once opened.
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The 150 ml format may help you avoid opening more than you need for a small recipe. The product name states that it contains 18% fat; check the nutritional information and ingredients of the product you buy.
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This pack of 12 1 L cartons is best suited to multiple recipes or large-scale use; it may be more than you need for a single small dish. Check the storage instructions once opened and the allergen information on each pack.
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The 200 ml format may suit a small recipe. The product name states that it contains 17% fat, but the figures listed for this product vary. Check the value on the packaging before comparing nutritional information, and check the details for any allergen you need to avoid.
No. Check the ingredients list and allergen information for the exact product before using it. If a guest has a milk allergy, check any precautionary allergen information on the packaging too, rather than relying on the fact that the product is plant-based.
No. It makes the ingredients easier to check, but doesn’t guarantee that the product is free from all allergens or traces. The DGCCRF advises that regulated allergens used as ingredients must be highlighted on pre-packed foods. Check for the specific allergen that concerns your guests.
First compare the ingredients and allergen information, then the format, the proportion of coconut extract if stated, and the fat content. When comparing nutritional information, use values expressed on the same basis: per 100 g or per 100 ml.
Follow the storage instructions and use-by time stated on the packaging of the product you buy. As examples for these specific products, Auchan’s listing for Kara organic coconut milk in a 20 cl carton says to use within 3 days of opening, while its listing for Auchan Coco Cuisine says to keep refrigerated for 5 days at between 0 °C and +6 °C.