When choosing a dark chocolate ice lolly, check whether the cocoa content refers to the coating or the ice cream itself. According to product information from Auchan and E.Leclerc, Magnum Intense Dark and TRIUM cater to these two different preferences. For a break at the airport, buying your lolly after security, if one is available in the terminal, means you won’t have to carry a frozen product around for long. Plan to eat it soon after buying, and check the allergen information.
You want to enjoy an ice lolly near your departure gate without having to keep it frozen since leaving home. Anses recommends limiting how long frozen products are in transit. Before taking one on board, check your airline’s rules too.
You want to know whether the dark chocolate is in the coating, the ice cream or both. Auchan’s product information for Magnum Intense Dark states that the coating contains 70% cocoa; this figure doesn’t apply to the whole lolly.
You compare ingredients and allergen information before choosing. Depending on the recipe, dark chocolate may come with milk, soya or nuts. The flavour name alone isn’t a substitute for checking the packaging.
For a break at the airport, first decide when you’ll be able to buy and eat your frozen treat. Then compare how the recipe uses dark chocolate, check the ingredients and see how many portions are in the pack.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Transport and keeping it cold | When you buy it, how you can keep it cold, and the airline’s rules before security. | If I’m eating my ice lolly near the departure gate, I’d rather avoid carrying a frozen product for a long journey. Around 36% of consumers put this first. |
| Dark chocolate profile | Cocoa content, if stated, and whether dark chocolate is in the coating, the ice cream or both. | I’m mainly looking for a dark chocolate flavour and want to distinguish the coating from the frozen centre. This matters most to around 29% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | The ingredients list, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the pack you buy. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the exact recipe matters more than the stated flavour. It’s the top priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Number of portions | How many ice lollies are in the pack, the net weight and whether you can store any you don’t eat. | For a break on my own, I don’t want to open a pack if I can’t keep the rest frozen. Around 14% of consumers put this first. |
A long wait makes it harder to keep them cold. Anses advises buying frozen food last, using an insulated bag and keeping transport time to a minimum.
If ice lollies are available after security, buy one then so you can eat it soon afterwards. Don’t rely on an ordinary bag to keep it cold during a long wait.
The descriptions don’t always refer to the same part of the product. Auchan states that the Magnum Intense Dark coating contains 70% cocoa, while E.Leclerc describes the ice cream and dark chocolate coating in TRIUM separately.
Read the product name and ingredients, then check which part of the lolly each percentage refers to.
A dark chocolate ice lolly may also contain milk or nuts, or carry a ‘may contain’ warning. The DGCCRF reminds manufacturers that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted on the label.
Check the ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the product you’re buying.
The Magnum Intense Dark and TRIUM products described by Auchan and E.Leclerc contain three and four ice lollies respectively. The remaining portions can be difficult to manage if you can’t keep them frozen.
Check how many are in the pack before you buy. Choose a multipack only if you can share the extra portions or put them back in the freezer safely.
Auchan describes Magnum Intense Dark as milk chocolate ice cream coated in dark chocolate with 70% cocoa, sold in a pack of three.
Carrefour Extra Menthe Chocolat combines mint, chopped cocoa beans and dark chocolate, which Carrefour’s product information lists at 29%.
E.Leclerc’s product information for the TRIUM ice lolly describes dark chocolate ice cream at 72.8% and a dark chocolate coating at 27.2%.
Auchan’s range includes Magnum Intense Dark and NUII Chocolat noir et noix du Brésil.
ALDI France offers Mucci dark chocolate ice cream in a tub.
This selection includes dark chocolate ice lollies and mango and passion fruit mini sorbets paired with dark chocolate. As they come in multipacks, you’ll need to plan how to store any portions you don’t eat.
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Worth considering if you’re looking for a dark chocolate ice lolly and can keep any uneaten portions in the freezer.
Pack size: four ice lollies, 312 g. Check the packaging for details of the ice cream and coating, as well as allergen information, before choosing.
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Worth considering if you’d prefer a fruity mini sorbet paired with dark chocolate rather than dark chocolate ice cream.
Pack size: six mini ice lollies, 282 g. Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, and plan how you’ll store any remaining portions.
Keep transport time to a minimum and use an insulated bag. These are the precautions Anses recommends for frozen food. Then follow the storage temperature stated on the packaging; Auchan’s product information for Magnum Intense Dark specifies −18 °C.
Check the descriptions of the ice cream and coating separately. According to Auchan, the 70% cocoa stated for Magnum Intense Dark refers to its coating, while E.Leclerc’s product information for TRIUM describes both dark chocolate ice cream and a dark chocolate coating.
Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the pack you buy. The DGCCRF reminds manufacturers that allergenic ingredients must be clearly highlighted on the label. Don’t assume they’re absent just because the product is described as ‘dark chocolate’.