If you’re adding coconut to a dinner recipe, choose culinary coconut milk rather than a coconut drink when the recipe calls for a more concentrated base. Then check the ingredients and organic labelling. This alone does not establish whether the meal is suitable for a particular child. Before the age of one, Anses advises that ordinary drinks, whether plant-based or animal-based, cannot replace breast milk or infant formula.
If the product is meant to replace a bottle feed, ordinary coconut milk is not suitable: according to Anses, everyday drinks cannot replace breast milk or infant formula. This is different from using it as an ingredient in a recipe.
They’re looking for an ingredient for a particular recipe, without confusing culinary coconut milk with a plant-based drink. The product name and ingredients list can help them choose the right type.
For a sauce or soup, you can compare the stated coconut content, other ingredients and pack size. A more concentrated formula alone does not tell you whether it meets a particular child’s nutritional needs.
For a toddler’s dinner, first decide how the product will be used: as a cooking ingredient or as a drink intended to replace milk. Then check the label of the type that suits your recipe.
Consider it: when a sauce, soup or mash calls for a concentrated coconut base.
Compare: coconut content and other ingredients vary between products, based on the ingredients lists published by Carrefour.fr.
Consider it: when a recipe calls for a thinner drink rather than culinary coconut milk.
Bear in mind: the Bjorg coconut drink featured by Carrefour.fr contains water, rice starch and stabilisers, among other ingredients. Before the age of one, Anses advises against using it as a substitute for breast milk or infant formula.
| What to consider | What to check | Shoppers concerned |
|---|---|---|
| Age and how it will be used | Check whether the coconut product is going into a recipe or is meant to replace milk. Before the age of one, an ordinary drink cannot replace breast milk or infant formula, according to Anses. | If I’m preparing a baby’s meal, I want to avoid mistaking a cooking ingredient for a milk substitute. Around 42% of shoppers would put this distinction first. |
| Organic labelling and ingredients | Look for the EU organic logo on the product in question and read its ingredients list; the European Commission reserves this logo for certified products. | To choose an organic product whose ingredients I understand, I check the packaging of the exact product. Certification and ingredients would be the priority for around 33% of shoppers. |
| Texture and pack size | Compare the stated coconut content, other ingredients and pack size for your recipe. Carrefour.fr lists different ingredients for the Bjorg drink and cooking ingredient. | When I’m making a sauce, I first look for the right texture and a pack size that matches the amount I need. This would come first for around 25% of shoppers. |
The two Bjorg products featured by Carrefour.fr have different ingredients: the drink contains rice starch, among other things, while the cooking ingredient lists 51% coconut.
Start with the texture your recipe calls for, then compare the product name and ingredients of the one you’re considering.
According to the European Commission, the organic logo identifies a certified product. It does not mean that a coconut drink can replace breast milk or infant formula: Anses advises against this substitution before the age of one.
If you need a product to replace a bottle feed, don’t choose ordinary coconut milk or a coconut drink for this purpose.
A single brand can offer both a plant-based drink and a cooking ingredient with different recipes, as shown by the two Bjorg products featured by Carrefour.fr.
Check the ingredients list and pack size of the specific product before adding it to dinner.
Carrefour.fr features organic culinary coconut milk in a 330 mL pack.
Carrefour.fr features organic coconut milk in a 400 mL pack.
Carrefour.fr features both an organic coconut drink and an organic coconut milk cooking ingredient.
Carrefour.fr describes organic culinary coconut milk in a 500 mL pack.
These products are for using coconut as a cooking ingredient: two coconut milks and a coconut cream. If you’re looking for an organic product, check the certification details on the packaging of the one you choose. None of these products should be considered a milk substitute for an infant.
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If your recipe calls for coconut cream rather than coconut milk, compare this 200 ml UHT pack with the quantity you need. The product name includes “24% Fat”; check the nutritional information and organic labelling on the packaging.
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If your recipe calls for coconut milk, compare this 400 ml pack with the amount you need. Joybuy’s product information says to reseal it after opening and use it promptly. Follow the instructions on the packaging you receive and check its organic labelling.
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If your recipe calls for coconut milk in a 200 ml pack, note that this UHT product is different from Kara’s coconut cream. Before comparing fat content, check the value on the packaging rather than relying solely on “17% Fat” in the product name. Also check the organic labelling.
No. According to Anses, ordinary drinks, whether plant-based or animal-based, cannot replace breast milk or infant formula before the age of one. This restriction applies to replacing milk; using an ingredient in a recipe is a separate question and should be considered in light of the child’s age and circumstances.
Look for the EU organic logo on the packaging of the specific product: the European Commission states that it is reserved for certified products. Also read the product name and ingredients list to tell culinary coconut milk apart from a plant-based drink.
The result may be different because the ingredients are not the same. According to Carrefour.fr, the Bjorg drink contains rice starch, among other things, while its cooking ingredient lists 51% coconut. Choose the product that gives you the texture your recipe calls for, and don’t use either as a milk substitute for an infant.
Follow the instructions on the product you’ve bought rather than applying the same time limit to every brand. Joybuy’s product information for Valcom organic coconut milk says to reseal it and use it promptly after opening.