If you’re selling ice lollies at a Christmas market, first make sure you can transport, store and serve them at the required storage temperatures. The cold weather outside is no substitute for proper arrangements. Then choose the number and size of portions to suit your planned service, and check the ingredients and allergens for each product, even if it’s described as plant-based.
You’re planning to sell ice lollies and can arrange for them to be transported, stored and served at the applicable storage temperatures. Légifrance and DRIAAF Île-de-France highlight the importance of maintaining these conditions for the products concerned.
You want to work out how many portions you’ll have from the number of lollies in each box, and offer a dessert that needs no preparation on site. The pack sizes listed by Carrefour France and Auchan France make it easy to compare the number of lollies before you buy.
You need to be able to tell customers about the ingredients and allergens in the product you’re selling. The DGCCRF sets out the labelling information required for prepacked foods. The Magnum Vegan Amande product page also shows why a plant-based label alone won’t answer questions about allergens.
For a Christmas market stall, start with storage conditions. Pack sizes and the information you need to give customers come next.
| Criterion | What to check | Customers’ priorities |
|---|---|---|
| Cold chain | Check the storage instructions for the product, and make sure your transport, freezer and stall power supply can meet them. | I need to keep the lollies at the required temperature during the journey and while selling them; around 42% of consumers put maintaining the cold chain first. |
| Number and size of portions | Compare the number of lollies in each box and whether they’re mini or standard size, taking into account your planned service and storage space. | To serve desserts without preparing them on site, I want to be able to count portions and plan when to restock; this is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the French-language label for each product and keep the information readily available at the point of sale. | If someone asks what an ice lolly contains, I need to be able to answer about the exact product; around 25% of consumers put this food information first. |
An individually wrapped ice lolly is still a frozen product. In France, the applicable temperatures for the products concerned must be maintained. DRIAAF Île-de-France explains that transport equipment must be capable of keeping food at the required storage temperatures throughout the journey.
Check the product instructions, your transport arrangements, freezer and stall power supply before deciding how much to buy.
You may need suitable freezing equipment, a power supply and transport arrangements.
The Magnum Vegan Amande product page lists almonds and says the product may contain milk, soya and other tree nuts. So the plant-based label alone isn’t enough to answer questions about allergies.
Keep the packaging for the product you’re selling, and share only the information shown on its label.
Carrefour France and Auchan France offer boxes in different sizes and assortments, including standard and mini ice lollies. Two boxes with the same number of lollies won’t necessarily suit the same type of service.
Also compare portion sizes, flavours, ingredients and the space needed to store them.
Magnum offers assorted mini ice lollies and the Vegan Amande x3 product, among other options. These formats suit different portion preferences, but you should still check the ingredients of each one.
Carrefour’s ice lolly ranges let you compare different pack sizes and own-brand recipes.
Auchan France offers ice lollies under its own brand, an Auchan Bio product and products from national brands. That gives you options to compare formats to suit your planned service.
MUCCI® is ALDI France’s ice cream and sorbet brand, with options including a pack of four ice lollies.
No. The weather alone can’t guarantee that a frozen product is kept at the required storage temperature. Check the product’s instructions and the actual transport and storage conditions. Légifrance sets out the applicable temperatures for the products concerned, and DRIAAF Île-de-France reminds sellers that these temperatures must be maintained during transport.
Keep the information on the label for the product you’re selling readily available, including its name, ingredients, net quantity and nutritional information. The DGCCRF sets out the labelling rules for prepacked foods. Also check the allergens listed and make sure consumer information is available in French.
No. A plant-based label doesn’t guarantee that a product is free from allergens. According to the Magnum product page, Vegan Amande contains almonds and may contain milk, soya and other tree nuts. Check the label on the product you actually buy before advising a customer.
Start with the number of ice lollies in each box, then match it to your expected serving rate and frozen storage capacity. Carrefour France lists a box of 12 Classic' ice lollies, while Auchan France lists a Magnum assortment of ten mini ice lollies. Check the format and product available before you buy.