Dark chocolate ice lollies can be suitable for a school fundraiser if you can keep them frozen during transport and at the stall. Without the right arrangements, it’s better to choose a product that doesn’t need to be kept frozen. Next, check what ‘dark chocolate’ means on each box and keep the batch packaging handy: according to Auchan, Magnum Intense Dark combines a dark chocolate coating with 70% cocoa and milk chocolate ice cream.
For a short sale with quick distribution, ice lollies could work if you can keep them frozen from transport through to handing them over to buyers. The DGCCRF reminds organisers that the cold chain also applies during transport and handling.
If the cocoa content is what matters most, distinguish between the coating and the ice cream inside. Auchan describes Magnum Intense Dark as having a dark chocolate coating with 70% cocoa around milk chocolate ice cream.
At a school fundraiser, families need to be able to check the information about the product on offer. The word ‘dark’ doesn’t mean an ice lolly is dairy-free.
Before choosing a box, make sure you can keep the ice lollies frozen throughout the sale. Then check the chocolate ingredients and allergen information.
| Criteria | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping the products frozen | The temperature shown on the box, and how you’ll transport and store the products until they’re handed out. | If I’m running the stall, I need to be able to keep the ice lollies frozen before handing them to families; around 42% of consumers would put these arrangements first. |
| Dark chocolate profile | Which part of the product is described as dark chocolate and, if stated, its cocoa content. | I’m looking for a product clearly labelled as dark chocolate, without assuming that all the ice cream is dark; around 33% of consumers would prioritise this. |
| Allergen information | The ingredients and allergens for the batch you buy, and whether you can show the packaging to families. | To give families accurate information, I want to check the label rather than rely on the word ‘dark’; around 25% of consumers would prioritise this check. |
A dark chocolate coating can cover milk chocolate ice cream, as with the Magnum Intense Dark described by Auchan. So the product name alone doesn’t tell you whether it’s suitable for someone avoiding dairy.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the specific batch before telling families that a product meets a particular dietary requirement.
According to the DGCCRF, the cold chain covers transport, handling and storage. Having a freezer at the venue doesn’t, by itself, solve the problem of getting the products there.
Before choosing ice lollies, confirm that you have suitable transport, storage on site and a plan for any unsold stock.
Unsold products also need to be kept frozen.
The number of ice lollies tells you neither the serving size nor the type of chocolate. Carrefour lists Popelino in a box of 4 × 78 g, while Auchan offers Magnum Intense Dark as three pieces weighing 222 g in total.
Compare the number of ice lollies, their weight, and how the ice cream and coating are described on the packaging you’re considering.
Auchan describes Magnum Intense Dark as a box of three ice lollies, with milk chocolate ice cream and a dark chocolate coating containing 70% cocoa.
Carrefour lists Popelino dark chocolate ice lollies in a box of 4 × 78 g, a format worth considering if you plan to hand them out individually.
Carrefour offers a box of four Carrefour Sensation ‘milk and dark chocolate’ ice lollies.
These two boxes contain frozen portions with dark chocolate: one is chocolate-focused, while the other combines mango and passion fruit sorbet with dark chocolate. For a school fundraiser, your choice still depends on being able to keep the products frozen and check the labels.
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Worth considering if you’d like to hand out chocolate ice lollies individually. The box contains four lollies. Before the sale, check the allergens and storage instructions on the batch you buy.
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Worth considering if you’re after smaller, fruitier portions rather than an ice lolly centred on chocolate. The box contains six mini ice lollies. Check the batch label for allergens and storage instructions.
No. Auchan describes it as milk chocolate ice cream with a dark chocolate coating containing 70% cocoa. Check the label on the batch you buy for allergen information about the product you’ll be handing out.
An ordinary shopping bag won’t keep them frozen. The DGCCRF recommends using an insulated bag and making the journey as short as possible before putting the products in a freezer. Follow the storage instructions on the packaging.
Keep the batch packaging to hand and make sure families can read the information before choosing a product. Service-Public.fr explains the rules on allergen information for processed foods, whether prepacked or not.
Follow the guidance provided by the school rather than assuming a product is suitable because its name includes ‘dark chocolate’. The Ministry of National Education explains that an individual care plan can help organise support for a pupil with, among other things, a food allergy.