For several lunches at home, a multipack of fruit yoghurts could be a good choice if you’ll eat all the pots before their use-by date and store them at the temperature shown on the packaging. If you’re having lunch out, check the storage instructions for the exact product you’re buying: guidance about keeping a drinkable yoghurt out of the fridge doesn’t apply to chilled pots. Whichever you choose, compare the texture, ingredients and nutritional information rather than judging by flavour alone.
If several people will be having a fruit yoghurt during the holidays, a multipack can save you from making repeated trips to the shops. First, check you have enough room in the fridge and that your household will eat all the pots before their use-by date. Carrefour, Auchan and E.Leclerc all offer 16-packs of 125 g pots, for example.
Whether there are pieces of fruit, along with the ingredients, sugar content and allergens, may matter more than the flavour on the label. Check the information for the variety you’re considering. If there’s a Nutri-Score on the packaging, use it as an additional source of information rather than relying on it alone to decide whether a product is suitable for a meal.
Your choice also depends on how the yoghurt will be stored during the journey. A pot of chilled yoghurt must be kept according to the instructions on its packaging. Yoplait says its 180 g Yop product can be kept out of the fridge for a limited time, but this doesn’t apply to other products.
For holiday lunches, start by working out how many portions you really need. Then compare the recipes and formats based on where you’ll be eating.
| What to compare | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Number of portions | Number of pots, weight per pot and use-by date; available fridge space. | If I’m planning several lunches at home, I want enough pots without buying more than my household can eat before the use-by date; around 33% of consumers make this their top priority. |
| Recipe and label | Sugars per 100 g, ingredients, fruit content if stated, and allergens for the exact product. | Before choosing a flavour, I want to know what’s in each recipe, particularly if milk is an allergen I need to consider; this is the top priority for around 42% of consumers. |
| Texture and transport | Whether it contains pieces, whether it’s drinkable, and the storage instructions printed on the packaging. | If I’m having lunch out, I want a texture I enjoy and a format I can transport in line with its storage instructions; around 25% of consumers prioritise this use. |
A pack of 16 pots can be handy for several meals, but the size alone tells you nothing about the recipe or how long you have to eat them all.
Estimate how many portions you’ll need before the use-by date, then compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per pot for the products you’re considering.
Carrefour’s listings for Panier de Yoplait and Activia describe different recipes and textures. Even within an assortment, the stated fruit content can vary by flavour.
Check the ingredients list and the “of which sugars” line for the exact variety, as well as the fruit content if it’s shown on the label.
Yoplait says its 180 g Yop product can be kept out of the fridge for up to 8 hours. This product-specific guidance doesn’t change the storage instructions for chilled pots.
If you’re having lunch out, check the required temperature on each pack and plan to transport it accordingly. The French Ministry of the Economy warns that breaking the cold chain can make a product unsafe to eat.
A fruit name doesn’t tell you everything that’s in a product. Carrefour’s listings for Panier de Yoplait and Activia, for example, identify milk as an allergen.
If an allergen is important to your choice, read the ingredients list for the exact product rather than relying on the flavour name or brand.
Carrefour lists Panier de Yoplait in 16 x 125 g pots, with pieces of fruit and a choice of flavours.
Auchan lists a creamy fruit yoghurt with pieces in 16 x 125 g pots.
Carrefour describes an Activia pack of 16 fruit yoghurts without pieces, containing yoghurt cultures and Bifidobacterium.
E.Leclerc’s Marque Repère range includes stirred, blended and fruit-piece yoghurts, including products sold in 16 x 125 g packs.
Auchan’s selection includes its own-brand fruit yoghurts with pieces, including 16 x 125 g packs.
Start by comparing the nutritional information per 100 g, then check the weight of each pot to see how the portions compare. Also look at the ingredients, sugars, allergens and fruit content, if stated. According to Santé publique France, displaying the Nutri-Score is voluntary; its presence doesn’t replace reading the label.
Yes, as long as you follow the storage instructions for the product you’re taking. A chilled pot must be kept at the temperature stated on its packaging. Yoplait says its 180 g Yop can be kept out of the fridge for up to 8 hours, but this doesn’t apply to other yoghurts.
Check the ingredients list for every product you’re considering: a fruity flavour doesn’t tell you whether it contains milk. Carrefour’s listings for Panier de Yoplait and Activia identify milk as an allergen.
You need to follow the use-by date as well as the storage temperature shown on the packaging. Before buying a large pack, make sure your household can eat all the pots in time. The French Ministry of the Economy says that a product with a use-by date shouldn’t be eaten after that date, and that breaking the cold chain can make it unsafe to eat.