For a meal at the airport, choose an ice lolly as a dessert or refreshing treat rather than as your only food: Manger Bouger recommends eating a varied diet and limiting sugary products. A sharing pack is only worthwhile if you’ll eat the portions soon or can keep them frozen. Check the exact ingredients and the applicable rules before considering taking it through security.
You plan to eat your dessert straight away, without carrying frozen food around for long. The French Ministry of Agriculture advises limiting the time frozen products are transported, or eating them immediately.
You can divide several ice lollies between you before setting off. The number of lollies and their weight matter just as much as the total quantity in the box: the packs offered by E.Leclerc and ALDI vary considerably.
If you need something to eat until you arrive, bring other food and save the ice lolly for dessert. Manger Bouger recommends eating a varied range of foods rather than relying on a sugary product for a meal.
First, decide when you’ll eat the ice lollies, then choose a quantity that suits the people sharing them. If you’re expecting to need a meal, plan for it separately from your frozen dessert.
| Criterion | What to check | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | The time between buying and eating the product, and whether you can keep it frozen. | I want to eat my ice lolly before it defrosts during the journey or while I’m waiting; around 36% of consumers prioritise keeping it cold. |
| Sharing portions | The net weight, number of ice lollies and price per kilo shown at the time of purchase. | If we’re travelling as a group, I’m looking for a pack we can finish before setting off; the cost of the portions eaten comes first for around 29% of consumers. |
| Its place in your meal | What else you plan to eat with your dessert and how long it’ll be until your next meal. | I’m hungry and don’t want to rely on ice cream alone for my meal; around 21% of consumers prioritise this need. |
| Allergens | The ingredients and any ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging of the exact product. | I need to choose a recipe that’s suitable for the allergens I avoid, even if that limits the flavours I can choose from; this check is a priority for around 14% of consumers. |
A long wait could affect how well it keeps. The French Ministry of Agriculture advises limiting the time frozen products are transported and not refreezing a product once it has defrosted.
Only buy the pack if you can eat it soon or keep it frozen until you’re ready to enjoy it.
If the pack melts before you eat it, some portions could go to waste.
Four ice lolly sticks and twelve mini sticks don’t mean the same number of portions, or necessarily the same amount per person.
Compare the net weight and number of items, then consider how many people can realistically finish the pack before setting off.
A frozen dessert doesn’t provide the variety in your diet that Manger Bouger recommends for meals.
If you need a meal, bring other food and save the ice lolly for dessert or a separate treat.
Carrefour’s page for the four-pack of Magnum Classic states that it contains milk and may contain nuts. This information applies to this specific product, not every ice cream from the brand.
Read the ingredients and any trace warnings on the packaging of the product you’re buying.
These products give you a selection of frozen dessert formats to compare. Their inclusion doesn’t mean they’re available near your airport or suitable as a meal.
Carrefour lists Magnum Classic in a box of four 100 mL ice lolly sticks.
E.Leclerc lists TRIUM ice lolly sticks and ESKISS tubs among its Marque Repère frozen desserts.
Auchan lists REBELS Classic and Almond ice lolly sticks in boxes of four.
ALDI lists several MUCCI frozen dessert formats, including ice lolly sticks and mini sticks.
Lidl lists a 513 g Bon Gelati product in its ice cream selection.
These individually portioned frozen desserts could work for a treat to share before going through security, as long as you eat them soon or keep them frozen. The number of items can help you choose a pack, but it isn’t enough to show which one costs least per portion.
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Four portions to share if you can eat them straight away before setting off.
Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of this product. Keep it frozen until you’re ready to eat it, and don’t refreeze it after it has defrosted.
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A pack of twelve ice lollies to consider if several people can enjoy a portion before setting off.
Check the ingredients and allergens for the exact product. Make sure you can keep any uneaten portions cold.
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Four coconut sorbet sticks for a frozen treat to share soon.
Check the allergen information on the packaging and keep the portions frozen until you’re ready to eat them.
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Eight melon ice bars, ideal if your group can share this many portions without leaving the rest to melt.
Check the ingredients list and allergen information for the exact product before buying.
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A pack of twelve ice lollies in five flavours for a group who can share the portions before setting off.
You’ll need to plan what to do with any uneaten portions. Check the allergen information on the packaging of the exact product.
It’s better to think of it as a dessert or refreshing treat, and bring other food if you need a meal. Manger Bouger recommends eating a varied diet and limiting sugary products.
Check the guidance from your airport and airline before assuming you can take it into the cabin. Paris Aéroport notes that some items in cabin baggage are subject to restrictions, including liquids and gels. The French Ministry of Transport adds that airlines may apply stricter rules. Eating it before security means you won’t have to rely on it being allowed through.
Keep the time between buying and eating them to a minimum, and maintain the cold chain if you won’t eat the pack straight away. The French Ministry of Agriculture advises buying frozen products at the end of your shopping trip, carrying them in an insulated bag and not refreezing them once they have defrosted.
Read the ingredients and any ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging of the exact product. For example, Carrefour’s page for the four-pack of Magnum Classic states that it contains milk and may contain traces of several nuts. Don’t assume this information applies to other products.