For a school lunchbox, choose a mini ice lolly with a clearly defined portion, but only include one if you can keep it stored as instructed until lunchtime. Check the allergens in the exact recipe too: a small size or fruit-flavoured coating doesn’t mean it’s suitable for your child.
An ice lolly must be kept according to the instructions on its packaging during the journey and while waiting to be eaten. The Ministry of Agriculture states that the reference temperature for frozen storage is −18 °C. An insulated bag alone isn’t enough to guarantee that this temperature will be maintained.
An individually wrapped lolly means you don’t have to divide up a larger ice lolly when preparing lunch. When comparing boxes, check the number of lollies and, where stated, the weight or volume of each one.
Check the ingredients for the exact recipe, including allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings. If your child has an individual healthcare plan (PAI), follow the meal instructions it sets out for their lunchbox too.
First, check whether you can keep the product at the temperature stated on the box until lunchtime. Then check the exact recipe and portion size: the word ‘mini’ doesn’t answer either of these questions.
| Criteria | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping it frozen until lunchtime | Check the storage temperature on the box and make sure the journey, waiting time and available ways of keeping it cold will allow you to maintain it. | If lunch won’t be eaten for several hours, I need to know whether the ice lolly will stay stored as instructed on its packaging; around 42% of consumers would make keeping it cold their top priority. |
| Allergens and school requirements | Check the ingredients, highlighted allergens and ‘may contain’ warnings for your chosen variety; follow the PAI if there is one. | When I’m preparing a meal for a child with an allergy, the flavour alone isn’t enough to tell me what’s in the recipe; allergens would be the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Individual portions | Compare the number of lollies and the weight or volume per lolly, if stated. For nutritional values, use the same basis: per 100 g or per 100 ml. | If I’m giving one lolly to each child, I want to know the amount in each one, not just the contents of the box; around 25% of consumers would put portion size first. |
Carrefour Extra and Magnum product listings show two ways of stating portion size: 32 g per lolly and 55 ml per lolly, respectively. These units aren’t directly comparable. The Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control states that nutrition information is given per 100 g or 100 ml to make it easier to compare products.
The size of the lolly doesn’t change its storage requirements. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the reference temperature for frozen storage is −18 °C, so check how long it will be before lunchtime and the instructions for the specific product you’re buying.
Before putting the ice lolly in the lunchbox, check that you can keep it at the stated temperature for the whole time. If not, choose a different dessert for that meal.
A fruit-flavoured coating doesn’t mean there’s no milk: E.Leclerc lists milk and whey in its TRIUM mini lollies. The Carrefour Extra selection includes milk, soya and almonds, as well as ‘may contain’ warnings.
Read the ingredients and allergens on the packaging for the box and variety you’ve chosen. If your child has a PAI, follow the meal instructions set out in it too.
Two boxes can contain the same number of lollies but state portion sizes differently: some listings give the amount per lolly, while others show the total weight.
Check the number of lollies, then the weight or volume per lolly where available. Compare nutritional information on the same basis, per 100 g or per 100 ml.
These products show what information to look for on a box of mini lollies. Their size doesn’t remove the need to check the storage requirements and ingredients of the variety you buy.
The Magnum Mini Classic x6 listing describes six 55 ml lollies made with vanilla ice cream and a milk chocolate coating.
Carrefour lists a selection of eight mini lollies, each weighing 32 g.
The Carrefour SIMPL listing describes a box of eight mini lollies weighing 284 g in total, with several recipes.
E.Leclerc lists eight vanilla mini lollies with a fruit-flavoured coating, weighing 300 g in total.
ALDI France lists a box of twelve MUCCI mini lollies in several flavours, including milk chocolate, white chocolate and almond.
Not just because it’s small. An ice lolly is still a frozen product: check the storage requirements on the box and whether you can keep it at the stated temperature until lunchtime. The Ministry of Agriculture gives −18 °C as the reference temperature for frozen storage.
No. The E.Leclerc listing for TRIUM mini lollies with a fruit-flavoured coating includes rehydrated skimmed milk and whey. If your child has an allergy, check the ingredients and allergens for the exact recipe rather than relying on the flavour name.
Check the number of lollies and the amount per lolly, if stated. Carrefour Extra lists 32 g per lolly, while Magnum Mini Classic lists 55 ml per lolly: don’t treat these as directly equivalent amounts. To compare nutritional values, use the same basis: per 100 g or per 100 ml.
First check the ingredients of the variety you’re considering and follow the instructions that apply to your child. The French Ministry of Education states that an individual healthcare plan can be set up for a pupil with a food allergy and may include changes to their meals.