For a picnic dish, choose a stock cube with organic certification that you can identify on the packaging, then check that it suits your recipe and the people sharing the food. Organic certification alone tells you nothing about salt, allergens or whether a product is suitable for vegans. If the dish contains ingredients that need to be kept chilled, the stock cube doesn’t change how they should be transported.
You want to check the certification on the packaging rather than rely on the recipe name. For relevant organic products in France, the Ministry of Agriculture presents the EU organic logo and the AB mark as ways to identify them.
You’re preparing rice, vegetables or a salad to share and need to consider everyone eating it. Compare the nutritional values of your chosen cube and check its ingredients list and any warnings about possible traces. The Maggi and Knorr products listed by Carrefour declare different allergens.
Your dish may need to suit a vegan diet or meet a restriction on salt or gluten, for example. Check that the product you actually buy carries the relevant claim: it won’t automatically apply to other stock cubes from the same brand.
If you’re making a dish before you leave, start by checking the stock cube’s organic identification, then focus on what matters most to the people eating it and how the dish needs to be stored.
| What to consider | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Organic identification | Look for the EU organic logo and, if it appears on the packaging, the AB mark; check the ingredients list for the product you’ve chosen. | I want to be able to identify an organic stock cube before adding it to my dish, rather than relying on its name alone. Around 27% of consumers make this a priority. |
| Salt and allergens | Compare salt levels on an equivalent basis, taking the recommended amount into account; check for declared allergens and possible traces. | If someone eating the dish needs to avoid an allergen, or I’m watching the amount of salt in the recipe, the ingredients will determine my choice. Around 33% of consumers make this a priority. |
| Recipe and diet | Check the type of stock, whether it is labelled as suitable for vegans, and the instructions for your chosen cube. | For rice or vegetables to share, I’m looking for a product that suits the recipe and the group’s dietary needs. Around 20% of consumers prioritise this. |
| Preparation and transport | Follow the instructions for the stock cube and plan to keep the dish chilled if it contains ingredients that need it. | When I cook before setting off, I also need to transport the dish safely. Around 20% of consumers put planning and storage first. |
Organic certification doesn’t tell you about a product’s nutritional profile or all its ingredients. The product listings for Maggi and Knorr organic vegetable stock cubes featured by Carrefour include allergen information. Anses also advises limiting foods that are high in salt.
Once you’ve checked the organic identification, read the nutritional information, ingredients and any warnings about traces on the packaging you’ve chosen.
Instructions vary by product. For example, Carrefour recommends one Knorr organic vegetable stock cube per 500 ml of water. You can’t directly compare the salt content per 100 g of an unprepared cube with that of prepared stock.
Follow the instructions on the packaging, taste the dish before adding salt and compare values on a like-for-like basis.
The stock cube doesn’t replace the precautions needed for the dish’s other ingredients. Anses points out that keeping food at a low temperature slows the growth of micro-organisms.
If the dish contains ingredients that need to be kept chilled, transport it in a suitable cool box or insulated bag and follow the storage instructions for those ingredients.
Availability depends on the collection point or shop. Carrefour’s listings for Knorr and E.Leclerc’s for Bio Village don’t guarantee that these products are available everywhere.
Check which product is available locally before settling on your recipe, then read the information on its packaging.
Carrefour lists Maggi organic vegetable stock in a box of 8 cubes, suitable for dishes such as rice, pasta and casseroles.
Carrefour lists Knorr organic vegetable stock in a box of 12 cubes, with instructions to use one cube per 500 ml of water.
E.Leclerc lists Bio Village organic vegetable stock with herbs in a box of 8 tablets.
Auchan lists Jardin BiO étic vegetable stock cubes in a box of 8 cubes weighing 72 g, with the product titled ‘without salt or gluten’.
Look for the EU organic logo on the packaging and, where present, the AB mark. The Ministry of Agriculture presents these as ways to identify products that meet the requirements for organic certification. Check them on the product you buy.
No. Organic certification is no substitute for checking the nutritional information, ingredients and allergens. Carrefour’s listings for the Maggi and Knorr products mentioned here flag declared or potential allergens, depending on the product. Compare the salt content too, taking the recommended amount into account.
Check the ingredients list and any warnings about traces on the packaging. The Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted in the ingredients list on prepacked foods.
Yes, as long as you store the dish and its ingredients as required. Adding a stock cube doesn’t remove the need to keep foods that require it chilled. Anses stresses the importance of limiting how long food is left at room temperature and maintaining the cold chain during transport.