For a New Year’s Eve recipe intended for someone with coeliac disease, first choose a product that is labelled ‘gluten-free’ on the packaging of the product you actually buy. AFDIAG states that this label means the product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Then choose the format to suit your needs: culinary coconut milk for cooking, powder to reconstitute according to the instructions, or a coconut drink or dessert to serve as it is.
You need to see a clear ‘gluten-free’ label on the product you buy, rather than assume that a coconut-based ingredient is suitable. AFDIAG also recommends looking out for the crossed grain symbol when shopping.
For a homemade sauce or dessert, distinguish between culinary coconut milk and powder to reconstitute, and follow the quantities specified in your recipe.
A plant-based drink or coconut dessert may suit your needs if it is labelled ‘gluten-free’. Check the other ingredients too: Alpro’s coconut-soya Matcha drink, for example, contains soya.
If someone with coeliac disease is joining you, check for a ‘gluten-free’ label on every product intended for them, then choose between a cooking ingredient and something ready to serve.
| Criteria | What to check before buying | Who is it important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | The label on the current packaging and, if you are looking for it, the crossed grain symbol recommended by AFDIAG. | When I’m cooking for someone with coeliac disease, I want to be able to read the label on the product I’ll use; around 50% of consumers put this check first. |
| Cooking format | The stated use for the recipe and, for powder, the proportions for reconstitution. | When making a sauce or dessert, I first look for a format that suits the quantity and texture I want; around 30% of consumers prioritise this type of cooking use. |
| Ready-to-serve product | The product category — drink or dessert — as well as any additional ingredients listed on the packaging. | If I want to serve a drink or dessert straight away, I’d rather avoid any extra preparation; convenience comes first for around 20% of consumers. |
The product name, or the apparent absence of cereals in its ingredients, is no substitute for a ‘gluten-free’ label on the packaging of a product intended for a guest with coeliac disease.
Check the label on the product you actually buy. According to AFDIAG, it means the product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten.
A coconut-soya matcha drink and a chilled plant-based dessert have a different composition and use from coconut milk intended for cooking.
For your recipe, check the product category and its stated use. Save ready-to-drink or ready-to-eat products for serving as intended, unless your recipe specifically calls for them.
A product may not be available at your chosen shop or for your chosen click and collect service. Lidl also says its gluten-free products are available during special offers, rather than as part of a permanent range.
Before finalising your menu, check what’s available locally and have an alternative in mind whose packaging also carries a ‘gluten-free’ label.
Carrefour lists a 250 mL carton of Carrefour Sensation coconut milk in its plant-based cooking ingredients category.
Alpro’s coconut-soya Matcha drink is intended to be enjoyed hot or cold, rather than used as a neutral culinary coconut milk.
Auchan lists a 350 g pot of La Coop plain chilled plant-based dessert made with coconut milk.
ALDI France lists a 400 mL carton of Asia Green Garden coconut milk.
Lidl says its gluten-free products are available during special offers, rather than as part of a permanent range.
According to AFDIAG, it means the product contains no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. If you’re preparing a meal for someone with coeliac disease, look for this label on the packaging of the product you intend to use.
No. The product name alone doesn’t mean it carries a ‘gluten-free’ label. Check the packaging of the product you buy before adding it to your menu.
Not automatically: a drink may contain other ingredients and may not give you the result you want in a recipe. Carrefour’s Alpro coconut-soya Matcha drink contains soya and matcha, among other ingredients; check what your recipe calls for.
It’s an additional guide on the packaging: AFDIAG says products carrying this symbol can be bought with confidence. Always check the product and its labelling when you buy it.