Only choose almonds for people who can eat them: gluten-free or lactose-free does not mean nut-free. Let the specific dietary requirement, ingredients and warnings on the exact packaging guide your choice; lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy are different considerations when buying food, as Voedingscentrum explains. Give children whole nuts during a calm mealtime and make sure they are sitting down; Voedingscentrum warns of the risk of choking.
You’re looking for a snack for people with a specific allergy or intolerance and want to know exactly what a label means. Almonds are an allergen; lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy require different checks. Voedingscentrum explains the differences, while the NVWA describes the information shown on food labels.
You want to hand out snacks during an Easter egg hunt, while making sure children eat calmly and are supervised, and taking the choking risk of whole nuts into account. Voedingscentrum advises children to sit down and eat calmly.
You’re looking for an unsalted snack with a straightforward ingredient list and packaging that suits how you plan to use it. Product information from PLUS, Jumbo and ALDI shows how varieties differ in ingredients, preparation and packaging.
First, check that the person can eat almonds. Then consider their specific dietary requirement and check the packaging. For children, plan a calm time to eat rather than letting them snack as they run around.
Almonds are among the allergens that must be clearly identifiable on food labels, according to Voedingscentrum and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding the right allergen | Check whether almonds themselves need to be avoided, and read the ingredients and relevant warnings. The NVWA explains how allergens must be clearly identifiable on labels. | When choosing snacks for someone with an allergy, I first want to know whether they can eat almonds and what warnings are shown on the packaging. Around 36% of consumers give avoiding the relevant allergen their highest priority. |
| Choosing a relevant free-from claim | Check the exact variety and distinguish between lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy; Voedingscentrum explains that these involve different considerations when buying food. | I’m looking for a claim that matches the specific dietary requirement, not just a short ingredient list. For around 29% of consumers, a specific free-from claim comes first. |
| How the snack is eaten and handed out | Plan a calm mealtime for children and supervise them. For coeliac disease, the Dutch Coeliac Society advises using clean hands and utensils, and keeping products packaged for as long as possible. | At an Easter egg hunt with children, I want snack time to be calm and supervised, especially when serving whole nuts. Around 21% of consumers prioritise safe serving and how the food is eaten. |
| Packaging and storage | Compare the weight with the amount you need, and follow the storage instructions on the packaging of the variety you choose. | If the snack is only suitable for some of the group, I want to match the quantity to the people who can eat it and avoid leftovers. Around 14% of consumers prioritise quantity and storage. |
Almonds are an allergen in their own right. A claim about gluten or lactose does not mean that the product is almond-free.
Start by checking which substances the person needs to avoid, then check the ingredients and warnings on the exact packaging.
Lactose intolerance relates to milk sugar, while cow’s milk allergy relates to milk proteins. Voedingscentrum explains the difference.
If someone has a milk protein allergy, check the milk ingredients and relevant warnings, even if the product is labelled lactose-free.
Whole nuts can pose a choking risk for children. Voedingscentrum advises children to sit calmly while eating.
Make snack time a separate, calm occasion and supervise children.
Unsalted describes the salt content, not the allergens. PLUS product information lists almonds as the only ingredient, while Jumbo also lists sunflower oil. Both products contain almonds and have their own warnings.
Compare the ingredients and allergens on the exact packaging, and use ‘unsalted’ only as a criterion for choosing the salt content.
Albert Heijn product information describes AH Unsalted Almonds 190 g as a roasted variety with almonds as an ingredient.
According to PLUS product information, PLUS Unroasted and Unsalted Almonds 200 g is a natural variety with almonds as its only ingredient.
According to Jumbo, Jumbo Unsalted Almonds 140 g is a roasted variety containing 99% almonds and sunflower oil.
The Duyvis varieties reviewed have different ingredients: the manufacturer lists almonds and sunflower oil for Unsalted Almonds, while Albert Heijn product information describes Oven roasted almonds with a flavour coating.
ALDI describes its unroasted TRADER JOE'S almonds as a 200 g product in a resealable pack.
Lidl describes Alesto Spanish almonds, 200 g, as available in different varieties.
These Joybuy products include plain almonds and roasted or flavoured varieties. The product information lists almonds as an ingredient, so always check whether almonds and any other ingredients are suitable for the participants’ dietary needs.
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A good choice if you’re looking for a plain almond snack with simple ingredients; not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid almonds.
The product description lists 100% almond kernels as the ingredient. Pack weight: 160 g.
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For anyone looking for raw, unsalted almonds; the product information lists almonds as an ingredient.
Pack weight: 200 g. Contains almonds and is not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid them.
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For anyone looking for a roasted, salted almond snack; not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid almonds.
The product description lists almonds and salt as ingredients. It also warns that the product poses a choking risk for young children.
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A good choice if you’re looking for plain almonds; the product description lists almonds as the only ingredient.
The ingredients list states 100% almonds. Contains almonds and is not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid them.
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For anyone looking for a flavoured almond snack; this variety contains almonds.
The product description lists ingredients including corn, sugar, honey, condensed milk and soya. Check these ingredients if they need to be avoided.
No. The NVWA requires allergens to be clearly distinguishable from the other ingredients; bold type is one way to do this. So don’t just look for bold words.
A warning indicates a remaining risk of unintended presence. According to the NVWA, since 1 January 2026 the permitted wording has been ‘May contain X’ and ‘Not suitable for people with an X allergy’. The absence of such a warning does not mean a product is suitable for everyone with an allergy.
No. Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 sets harmonised requirements for information about the absence or reduced presence of gluten. The NVWA refers to this regulation when explaining the conditions for using the ‘gluten-free’ claim.
Use clean hands, clean utensils and a clean work surface. The Dutch Coeliac Society advises keeping gluten-free products packaged for as long as possible and setting aside a separate area of the table. This advice concerns contact with gluten and does not prove that a product is suitable for people with other allergies.
Check the actual packaging before eating the product. Albert Heijn and PLUS state that product information can change and advise customers to contact their customer service teams with any questions. A variety that was previously suitable may no longer be suitable after a change.
