Parents who prepare meals in advance
If you’re using coconut milk in a cooked dish for a lunchbox, compare its ingredients and plan how to store the recipe until lunchtime.
Who are these guidelines useful for?
Families who need to check allergens
The word ‘coconut’ alone isn’t enough to determine whether a product is suitable for a child. Check the ingredients and allergens on the packaging of the product you buy, as well as any guidance that applies at school.
Anyone looking for a coconut drink
If you want a product to drink rather than add to a sauce or dish, make sure you distinguish a coconut drink from culinary coconut milk before comparing pack sizes.
What should you check before buying?
For a school lunchbox, first decide whether you’re making a recipe with coconut milk, looking for a drink or planning to use grated cheese. Then check the exact product and how the meal will be stored.
| Criterion | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Product category | Read the product description: culinary coconut milk, coconut drink or grated cheese. Choose according to how you plan to use it. | If I’m making a sauce for a lunchbox, I need to choose a cooking ingredient rather than a drink or grated cheese; around 37% of consumers would make this distinction their top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the ingredients list, highlighted allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging of the product you buy. | If a child needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to check the exact product rather than assume its composition from the word ‘coconut’; around 36% of consumers would put checking allergens first. |
| Pack size and storage | Compare the amount needed for your recipe, storage instructions after opening and how you can keep the meal fresh until it’s eaten. | Between preparing the meal and lunchtime at school, I need to know how to store the recipe and the opened product; for around 27% of consumers, pack size and storage would be the priority. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming all ‘coconut’ products are interchangeable
Culinary coconut milk and a coconut drink aren’t intended for the same uses, while grated cheese belongs to a separate category. Choosing based on the name alone may mean the product isn’t right for your recipe or intended use.
First decide what you want to make or pack, then compare products in the relevant category.
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Assuming you know the allergens from the product name
Coconut products need to be checked individually. Anses advises that substances that can cause allergies or intolerances must be highlighted in the ingredients list.
Read the packaging every time you buy. If your child has specific requirements, also follow the guidance that applies to them at school.
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Forgetting how to store the product after opening
There may be a gap between preparing the recipe and eating it. According to Anses, keeping food at a low temperature slows the growth of micro-organisms; instructions after opening also vary depending on the product.
Check these instructions and use a way to keep the food chilled during transport if the recipe’s ingredients require it.
Brands to know when comparing categories
Real Thai
Carrefour’s product listing includes a carton of culinary coconut milk.
- The Carrefour listing gives the ingredients as 85% coconut extract and water.
- This product’s ingredients don’t mean you can skip checking the packaging you buy or planning how to store the recipe for a lunchbox.
Jardin Bio Étic
Carrefour’s listing features organic culinary coconut milk in a 400 mL tin.
- The listed ingredients are 68% coconut extract, water and guar gum.
- The organic label doesn’t replace the need to check allergens or storage instructions for the product you use.
Carrefour
Its range distinguishes culinary coconut milk from coconut drinks.
- This distinction makes it easier to compare products intended for the same use.
- The category name alone doesn’t tell you the ingredients or storage requirements of a specific product.
Alpro
The coconut product described by Carrefour is a 1 L carton of coconut drink, not culinary coconut milk.
- For this drink, Carrefour’s listing says to keep it in the fridge for 5 days after opening, at a maximum of 7 °C.
- These instructions apply to this product: check the packaging of the one you choose before preparing a lunchbox.
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Frequently asked questions
Can culinary coconut milk replace a coconut drink?
Not automatically: the two categories are intended for different uses. For a sauce or dish in a lunchbox, look for culinary coconut milk; if you want a drink, check for a product sold as a coconut drink.
Does coconut milk always contain cow’s milk?
No: the ingredients lists for the Real Thai and Jardin Bio Étic culinary products featured by Carrefour don’t mention milk. This doesn’t apply to every coconut product, so check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ statements on the packaging you buy.
How should you transport a recipe made with coconut milk in a lunchbox?
Follow the storage instructions for all the recipe’s ingredients until lunchtime. If the food needs to be kept chilled, make sure it’s transported appropriately; also check the instructions for the coconut milk after opening. Anses advises that low temperatures slow the growth of micro-organisms.