For a festival, choose a product whose packaging specifies the Fairtrade/Max Havelaar label and the ingredients it covers: another label on the cocoa does not meet this requirement. Tubs and ice cream bites display these details, but they are not a substitute for individual ice lollies if that format is essential for serving. You’ll also need to keep the products frozen and check the allergens in each recipe.
If fair trade is one of your selection criteria, check the label on each product, which ingredients it covers and any details about mass balance. Max Havelaar France recommends checking the back of the packaging, especially when an arrow appears alongside the label.
The choice between bites, tubs and ice lollies depends on how you plan to serve them, the portions you need to prepare and whether you can keep the products frozen during transport and service.
A vegan claim doesn’t mean you can skip the ingredients list and allergen warnings for the product you choose. The recipes mentioned here have different ingredients and allergens.
First check what the label covers, then make sure you can serve the products while keeping them cold, and check the ingredients in the recipes you plan to offer.
| Criteria | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade proof | Look for the Fairtrade/Max Havelaar label, check which ingredients it covers, and read the details on the back if there’s an arrow by the logo. For a recipe made with several ingredients, also check the mass balance statement. | If I’m presenting an ice cream as Fairtrade, I want to be able to show exactly what the label covers, rather than relying on a general promise from the retailer. Around 39% of consumers might rank this proof as their top criterion. |
| Serving and keeping products cold | Check the format on sale, portion sizes, and the equipment available for transport, storage and serving. The French Ministry of Agriculture gives −18 °C as the reference temperature for frozen storage. | To serve desserts during the festival, I need to choose a format my team can serve while maintaining the cold chain. Serving arrangements would be the top priority for around 38% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging of the recipe you buy; check any vegan claim separately. | If I’m planning a vegan option or need to take allergens into account, the flavour name alone isn’t enough to choose a recipe. Around 23% of consumers might make this compatibility their top criterion. |
According to Magnum France’s product information, Double Chocolat uses Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa under a mass balance model. This does not mean you can present this product as Fairtrade/Max Havelaar.
Decide which label you need before comparing formats, then check it on every product you’re considering.
The product information for Cookie Dough at Carrefour France and Cookie Dough Peaces at Ben & Jerry's France identifies the sugar, cocoa and vanilla as Fairtrade; it also specifies that a mass balance model is used.
Check which ingredients are covered, the percentage stated and what that percentage is based on.
A tub served by the scoop and bites handed out individually need different arrangements. In both cases, transport, storage and serving must maintain the cold chain. The French Ministry of Agriculture gives −18 °C as the reference temperature for frozen storage.
Work out your storage and distribution capacity before deciding on portions and format.
Ben & Jerry's France describes Chocolate Fudge Brownie Non-Dairy as vegan, but lists oats, wheat, barley and soya, among other ingredients.
Check the ingredients list and allergen statements on the packaging of the products you actually buy.
These brands offer useful points of comparison for labels and formats, but not all their products carry the same claims.
French product information from the brand and Carrefour France describes Fairtrade ingredients in Cookie Dough, Cookie Dough Peaces and Chocolate Fudge Brownie Non-Dairy.
The Double Chocolat described by Magnum France is a useful point of comparison for serving ice lollies.
Lidl France promotes a range of Fairtrade/Max Havelaar-certified products in its stores.
Look for the label on the packaging of the product you’ve chosen and read the details about which ingredients it covers. Max Havelaar France says that an arrow shown with the label means you should check the information on the back.
No, the claim may apply to only some ingredients. The product information for Cookie Dough at Carrefour France and Cookie Dough Peaces at Ben & Jerry's France lists Fairtrade sugar, cocoa and vanilla, combined with non-certified ingredients under a mass balance model.
Plan transport, storage and serving arrangements that can maintain the cold chain. The French Ministry of Agriculture gives −18 °C as the reference temperature for frozen storage; check the conditions that are right for the products and your equipment.
Yes. Ben & Jerry's France describes Chocolate Fudge Brownie Non-Dairy as vegan and says its sugar, cocoa and vanilla are Fairtrade under a mass balance model. Its product information also lists oats, wheat, barley and soya, among other ingredients, so check the allergens on the product you buy.