For a school bake sale, choose milk labelled ‘skimmed milk’ and compare the fat content per 100 ml: the Lactel, Carrefour and Auchan products mentioned contain between 0 and 0.2 g per 100 ml. Choose a pack size that suits the number of batches you’re making, follow the storage instructions after opening and test your recipe before baking in larger quantities. Lactose-free milk made from milk, such as Candia+, does not remove the need to declare milk as an allergen in the cakes concerned.
You want to use skimmed milk in your cakes and check how they turn out with your recipe before the bake sale. The products described by Lactel, Carrefour and Auchan contain 0 to 0.2 g of fat per 100 ml; this figure alone doesn’t predict how your cake will bake.
You need to work out how much milk you’ll need and plan how to use opened cartons. E.Leclerc lists Delisse in 1 L and 6 × 1 L pack sizes; Lactel Bio and Auchan give different instructions for storing their milk after opening.
You’re baking cakes that contain milk and need to be able to tell people which allergens are present in the products on sale. The information requirements depend, among other things, on how the cakes are presented for sale in France.
For your school bake sale, first choose a type of milk that suits your recipe, then plan the quantities you’ll need and the information to provide about the cakes.
Choose this if: you want skimmed milk and don’t have any specific requirements around lactose or organic production.
Bear in mind: test it in your complete recipe. The milk’s description alone can’t guarantee how your cake will turn out.
Choose this if: you’d also like an organic product. Lactel describes an organic skimmed milk containing 0.1 g of fat per 100 ml.
Bear in mind: being organic doesn’t tell you how your recipe will turn out or remove milk as an allergen.
Choose this if: you specifically need to avoid lactose. Candia says its Candia+ skimmed milk contains less than 0.1 g of lactose per 100 ml.
Remember: Candia lists skimmed milk and lactase among its ingredients, so this product is not milk-free.
| Criterion | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Product description and recipe | Look for ‘skimmed milk’, compare the fat content per 100 ml and test a batch using the recipe you plan to make. | I want to use skimmed milk without assuming that this one ingredient will determine how the cake turns out. Around 36% of consumers prioritise this choice of milk. |
| Quantity and storage | Work out how many litres you need, then compare pack sizes and the storage instructions after opening for the product you choose. | When I’m preparing several batches, I want to open cartons as I need them. For around 28% of consumers, managing quantity and storage comes before other criteria. |
| Information about milk | Check the allergens in your finished recipe and prepare the relevant information for the cakes according to how they’ll be sold. | If the cakes contain milk, I want families to be able to identify this allergen, even if the milk used is lactose-free. This is a priority for around 36% of consumers. |
Candia says its Candia+ skimmed milk contains skimmed milk and lactase. So the label ‘lactose-free’ doesn’t mean you can describe it as a milk-free ingredient.
If milk needs to be avoided, check the ingredients of the specific product and the finished recipe rather than relying on the lactose-related label alone.
Storage instructions after opening vary: Lactel says to use its organic skimmed milk within three days, while Auchan gives five days for the skimmed milk mentioned, subject to the storage conditions specified by each brand.
Plan how many litres you’ll need for each batch and follow the instructions on every carton you open.
A general claim about fat content is no substitute for the product description or its nutritional information. It also won’t tell you how your recipe will turn out.
Check for ‘skimmed milk’ and the figure per 100 ml, then test a batch before making all your cakes.
In France, the provisions set out by Légifrance apply in particular to non-prepacked food, food packed on request at the point of sale, and food prepacked for direct sale. If milk used in the preparation is still present in the finished cake, information about this allergen must be made available to consumers under the applicable rules.
Provide allergen information for each cake based on its recipe and check the arrangements set by the school or organiser.
Lactel offers, among other products, an organic UHT skimmed milk.
Candia offers, among other products, its lactose-free Candia+ skimmed milk and its semi-skimmed GrandLait Bio.
Carrefour offers an Extra UHT skimmed milk in a 1 L carton.
E.Leclerc offers Delisse skimmed milk in a 1 L carton and in a 6 × 1 L multipack.
Auchan offers a UHT skimmed milk in a 1 L carton.
In a 2022 communication, Lidl France named Envia as one of its drinking milk brands.
This multipack of skimmed milk available on Joybuy is handy when you’re planning several batches. Check the ingredients and storage instructions on the packaging before using it for your bake sale.
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This multipack is a good choice if your recipe calls for skimmed milk for several batches.
Pack size shown: 6 × 1 L. Check the ingredients and instructions for storing the milk after opening on the packaging you receive.
Yes, if the milk used is still present in the finished cakes and the sale falls under the relevant rules. In France, the provisions set out by Légifrance require allergen information for non-prepacked food, food packed on request at the point of sale, and food prepacked for direct sale. Under the applicable rules, this information must be made available to consumers on the food or nearby. Also check the school’s or organiser’s instructions.
No. Candia says its lactose-free Candia+ skimmed milk contains skimmed milk and lactase. If you use it in cakes, don’t describe them as milk-free.
Follow the storage time and temperature shown on the packaging for the product you buy, as these vary between products. Lactel says to use its organic skimmed milk within three days of opening and keep it chilled, while Auchan gives five days in the fridge for the skimmed milk mentioned.
You can try this change if your recipe allows you to swap skimmed milk for semi-skimmed. Candia’s GrandLait Bio semi-skimmed milk contains 1.6 g of fat per 100 ml, so it isn’t a skimmed milk product. Testing it again is the best way to see how it works in your recipe.