For a nursery snack, choose a mini ice lolly only if its ingredients are suitable for the children in question and the nursery can store and serve it frozen. The number of lollies in a box helps you plan portions, but a small size is no reason to skip checking every flavour in a multipack, particularly those containing almonds. If the nursery cannot follow the guidance on allergens or storage, plan a different snack with them.
The ingredients in each flavour and any ‘may contain’ warnings must be compatible with the guidance for your child and the nursery’s own rules. Depending on the product, pay particular attention to milk, soya, almonds and other nuts.
The number of ice lollies in a box helps you plan for one per child. The weight or volume given for each lolly then helps you check the exact portion size, without assuming that everything labelled ‘mini’ is the same size.
Before bringing in a frozen product, ask whether the nursery accepts food supplied by families and how it plans to store and serve it.
Start with the nursery’s guidance and any dietary restrictions, then work out how many portions you need. A product that’s easy to hand out won’t be suitable if its ingredients or storage requirements are a problem.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens | Read the ingredients and ‘may contain’ warnings on the pack you’re buying, for every flavour in the multipack. | If a child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I need to be able to rule out a whole box if even one of its flavours isn’t suitable; around 42% of consumers put this compatibility first. |
| Individual portions | Count the number of lollies in the box and check the quantity given for each one, distinguishing between grams and millilitres. | When serving a group, I want to plan for one lolly per child rather than relying on the word ‘mini’ alone; portion size is the top priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| Storage and serving | Get the nursery’s approval and confirm its storage facilities, as well as the instructions on the packaging. | Before bringing in ice lollies, I need to know whether they can be kept frozen until snack time; around 25% of consumers say this is their main concern. |
A box may contain several flavours, including one with almonds. Checking only the flavour you plan to serve isn’t enough to assess the ingredients and ‘may contain’ warnings for the whole multipack.
Check every flavour on the packaging, then compare this information with the guidance for each child.
Carrefour Extra lists its eight-lolly multipack as 32 g per lolly, while Magnum lists Mini Classic as 55 ml per lolly. Weight and volume aren’t directly comparable.
First, plan how many lollies you need. Then look separately at the quantity per portion and the nutritional information for each product.
The DGCCRF warns that a rise in temperature can speed up microbial growth. The Pilpa multipack featured by Auchan also says never to refreeze a product once it has thawed.
Ask the nursery whether it accepts frozen products from families and how it will store them until snack time. Follow the instructions on the packaging.
According to Magnum France, Mini Classic is a vanilla ice cream coated in chocolate, sold in a box of six 55 ml lollies.
Carrefour offers a multipack of eight 32 g mini ice lollies with a selection of chocolate coatings.
Auchan offers a multipack of eight mini ice lollies with milk, dark or white chocolate coatings, including an almond flavour.
The multipack of eight mini ice lollies featured by Auchan combines vanilla flavours with several chocolate coatings, including an almond flavour.
These products let you compare boxes of six or eight mini ice lollies for a group snack. Fruit sorbets and Magnum Mini Classic are different recipes, so compare their ingredients and check with the nursery how they’ll be stored and served.
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The box of eight mini ice lollies makes it easy to plan how many you’ll need for snack time, subject to the nursery’s approval.
Check the pack for ‘may contain’ warnings and make sure they’re compatible with the guidance for the children.
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The six lollies give you a set number of portions to plan around.
Check the packaging for soya and ‘may contain’ warnings. This product is labelled as unsuitable for children under 36 months; check the nursery’s rules before choosing it, too.
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This box of six mini ice lollies is worth considering if you want to know exactly how many portions you’ll have.
The recipe is labelled as containing milk and soya; check for ‘may contain’ warnings, too. It is also labelled as unsuitable for children under 36 months.
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The box of six makes it easy to count the portions for snack time; each lolly is listed as 55 ml.
Check the pack for milk and possible almond warnings, then read the storage instructions before taking it to the nursery.
No. An individual portion doesn’t resolve allergen or storage concerns. Get the nursery’s approval, check the guidance for the children and make sure the product can be kept frozen until it’s served.
Check every flavour and all ‘may contain’ warnings on the box you’re buying. The products featured from Carrefour, Auchan and Magnum contain dairy ingredients; depending on the product, soya, almonds or other allergens may also be listed on the label.
Read the label on the pack you plan to bring in rather than relying on the flavour name alone. If it’s a multipack, check every flavour and ask the nursery what information it needs.
Don’t refreeze a product if the packaging says not to; the Pilpa multipack featured by Auchan carries this instruction. The DGCCRF stresses the importance of maintaining the cold chain, so arrange transport and storage with the nursery before you buy.