If Fairtrade/Max Havelaar is a must for you, check the label on the exact product you’re considering and which ingredients it applies to. For a frozen dessert made with several ingredients, the claim may also involve mass balance. For an office treat, make sure you can follow the product’s storage instructions, and check the allergens for each flavour. A biscuit tin is no substitute for a freezer.
To keep frozen desserts until you serve them to your team, you need to be able to follow their storage instructions. The Anses recommends maintaining the cold chain during transport, so check that you have access to a suitable freezer before buying.
If this label is essential, don’t confuse it with another cocoa certification. Fairtrade/Max Havelaar France advises shoppers to read the details on the back of composite products, particularly which ingredients are covered and how they are traced.
Before choosing a flavour or format, compare the ingredients and allergen information for each product. Recipes and warnings can vary even within the same brand.
For an office treat, first make sure you can store the ice lollies as directed on the packaging. Then check the label and the recipe you plan to serve.
| What to check | Check for | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade proof | Look for Fairtrade/Max Havelaar on the exact product, then check which ingredients are covered and whether mass balance is mentioned. | I want an explicit Fairtrade claim on the ice lolly I choose, rather than relying on the word “chocolate” alone; around 39% of consumers would make this their top priority. |
| Storage at the office | Make sure you have access to a freezer that meets the product’s storage instructions, and plan transport that maintains the cold chain. | If the ice lollies are waiting for the office break, I need to be able to keep them in a freezer rather than a biscuit tin; for nearly 38% of consumers, storage would come before other considerations. |
| Recipe and serving | Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact flavour. Choose between a sharing tub and individual portions to suit how you plan to serve them. | When serving several colleagues, I need to consider their dietary requirements and how the portions will be handed out; around 23% of consumers would put the recipe and serving format at the heart of their choice. |
The Magnum products listed by Magnum France carry a Rainforest Alliance claim for their chocolate. This label alone does not meet a Fairtrade/Max Havelaar requirement.
If Fairtrade is essential, look for this label on the specific product and check which ingredients it applies to.
A tin or cupboard won’t keep a frozen dessert at its storage temperature. The Anses recommends maintaining the cold chain during transport; a Picard ice cream product page specifies storage at −18 °C and says not to refreeze the product after it has thawed.
Check the product’s instructions and make sure a freezer is available before buying. If needed, use an insulated bag to transport it.
Ingredients vary from one recipe to another. Carrefour’s product page for Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough lists milk, wheat, egg and soya, among other ingredients. The page for Magnum Vegan Amande lists almonds and says the product may contain milk, soya and other nuts.
Find out about any relevant dietary requirements, then check the ingredients and ‘may contain’ warnings on each pack you buy.
Worth considering if an explicit Fairtrade/Max Havelaar claim is a priority and a tub suits the way you plan to serve it.
Individual ice cream sticks to consider only if a certification other than Fairtrade/Max Havelaar meets your requirements.
This retailer’s French product page for Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough lets you check the Fairtrade claim and ingredients for this particular product.
Worth considering if you want to check the labelling on a cocoa-containing own-brand ice cream.
No, they are separate certifications. If you require Fairtrade/Max Havelaar, look for that claim on the exact product and read the details about the certified ingredients. Rainforest Alliance claims found on some Magnum products do not mean they are Fairtrade.
Mass balance allows Fairtrade ingredients to be mixed with non-certified ingredients during production; it does not mean that each ingredient is kept physically separate in the finished product. Carrefour’s product page for Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough says this traceability system applies to its Fairtrade sugar, cocoa and vanilla, which account for 65% of the total weight, excluding water and dairy ingredients.
No, a biscuit tin is not suitable for storing frozen ice lollies. Follow the temperature and other instructions on the packaging; a Picard ice cream product page specifies −18 °C and says never to refreeze a thawed product. The Anses also recommends maintaining the cold chain during transport.
Check the ingredients and allergen information for each flavour you’re considering, taking account of the dietary requirements your colleagues have mentioned. Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough and Magnum Vegan Amande, for example, have different ingredients and warnings. The brand name or the word “vegan” is no substitute for reading the label.