For a school-holiday lunch, choose plain Greek-style yoghurt if you can keep it chilled as directed and want something to eat with a spoon. If you can’t guarantee it’ll stay cold, check the storage instructions for a drinking yoghurt or a UHT drink that’s suitable for your journey instead. These products aren’t interchangeable with Greek-style yoghurt. The phrase “filtered long-life milk” on its own isn’t enough to identify the product you’re looking for.
If you’re eating at home, in holiday accommodation or somewhere with facilities that let you follow the storage instructions, plain Greek-style yoghurt could be just the thing if you fancy something to eat with a spoon. The Danone and Carrefour Extra products described by Carrefour France are chilled dairy products made with milk, cream and cultures.
An individual-sized drinking yoghurt can be handy, as long as you check how long the specific product can be kept out of the fridge. Yoplait says its 180 g Yop can be kept out of the fridge for up to 8 hours; this guidance doesn’t automatically apply to other yoghurts.
If you’d prefer a ready-to-drink option that can be stored at room temperature before opening, check what the product is called and how it should be stored. Danone has a HiPRO UHT range and states that each bottle contains 25 g of protein. However, it isn’t Greek-style yoghurt.
First, work out whether you can keep lunch chilled. Then decide between a pot of yoghurt to eat with a spoon and a drink. The product name and the instructions on the packaging matter more than the word “filtered” on its own.
Choose this if: you want a chilled product to eat with a spoon and can follow its storage instructions.
Bear in mind: it isn’t suitable for extended storage out of the fridge.
Consider this if: you want a drink for an outing and the stated time it can be kept out of the fridge suits your journey.
Bear in mind: a fruit drinking yoghurt isn’t a substitute for plain Greek-style yoghurt to eat with a spoon.
Consider this if: you’re looking for a drink that can be stored at room temperature before opening.
Bear in mind: UHT processing doesn’t make this drink Greek-style yoghurt or filtered milk. Storage instructions change once it’s opened.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping chilled products fresh | Storage temperature instructions and date on the packaging; what to do once opened. | I’m planning to take a chilled pot for lunch, so I need to be able to store it as directed until it’s time to eat. Around 36% of consumers put this storage requirement first. |
| Texture and ingredients | Product name and ingredients; fat and protein per 100 g. | If I want a plain dessert to eat with a spoon, I’ll look for the texture I like and compare the recipes. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Drinks and ambient storage | UHT labelling or the specific product’s stated time out of the fridge; nutritional values per serving and instructions for after opening. | If my main priority is a drink that’s easy to store before setting off, or a stated amount of protein per bottle, I’ll check the exact product rather than automatically choosing a chilled pot. Nearly 28% of consumers put this need for a drink first. |
These terms don’t necessarily describe the same product. The examples here include chilled yoghurt, drinking yoghurt and a UHT drink. The word “filtered” doesn’t tell you what they’re made of or how they should be stored.
Check the exact product name, then read the storage instructions for the product you plan to take with you.
The Greek-style products featured by Carrefour France have different nutritional values: Danone has 7 g of fat and 93 kcal per 100 g, compared with 8.5 g and 107 kcal per 100 g for Carrefour Extra. These figures apply to these specific products.
Compare nutritional information on the same basis, then check the size of each pot and how many portions you’ll need.
The storage conditions for an unopened pack with a date printed on it don’t replace the instructions to follow once it’s been opened.
For the pot or drink you choose, follow the manufacturer’s guidance on storage and how long it can be kept after opening.
Two ranges cater for different needs here: chilled plain Greek-style yoghurt and HiPRO drinks, including a UHT range.
Carrefour Extra offers chilled plain Greek-style yoghurt in a pack of four 150 g pots.
The 180 g Yop is a fruit drinking yoghurt to consider for an outing, rather than a plain Greek-style yoghurt.
Don’t assume chilled Greek-style yoghurt can stay out of the fridge until lunchtime: follow the storage instructions on the product you choose. Yoplait’s guidance that Yop 180 g can be kept out of the fridge for up to 8 hours applies to that drinking yoghurt, not to Greek-style yoghurt.
A use-by date and a best-before date don’t mean the same thing. Anses explains that a product with a use-by date shouldn’t be eaten after that date; a best-before date relates to how long the product keeps, and its quality may decline afterwards. In both cases, follow the storage instructions too, especially once the product has been opened.
A UHT drink may be useful if you need something you can store before opening, but it isn’t a like-for-like replacement for chilled Greek-style yoghurt to eat with a spoon. Danone describes HiPRO as a range of UHT drinks. Check the product name, serving size and storage instructions for after opening.
First compare the product name, ingredients, quantity and storage instructions. Then compare nutritional values on the same basis, per 100 g or 100 ml. The DGCCRF states that pre-packed food labelling includes details such as the ingredients list, nutrition declaration, net quantity and a date. Also check the allergens listed for each product.