Breakfast Cake with Fairtrade Chocolate: Flag Day Checks

Who is this choice relevant to?

Organisers who want to identify the Fairtrade chocolate

You want to be able to show clearly which part of the treat is labelled Fairtrade for Flag Day. So check whether the claim refers to the cocoa, the chocolate or the whole product.

Party planners looking for something ready-made

You want to serve packaged breakfast cake without any extra preparation. Check that your chosen variety is available shortly before you buy it: Albert Heijn lists its breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate filling as discontinued.

Buyers with ingredient or allergen requirements

You want to know what is in both the breakfast cake and any separate chocolate. Check the latest ingredients and allergen information for both products, especially if cereals containing gluten, milk or nuts are relevant to your group.

What should you look for when choosing?

Ready-made breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate

Best suited to: you want to serve a single packaged product whose current packaging explicitly makes a Fairtrade claim about the cocoa or chocolate.

Things to consider: Albert Heijn lists its breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate filling as discontinued. What’s more, a claim about the filling says nothing about certification of the whole cake.

Breakfast cake with separate Fairtrade chocolate

Best suited to: you want to choose the breakfast cake and a separate chocolate labelled Fairtrade yourself.

Things to consider: putting the two together takes preparation, and it does not give the breakfast cake itself Fairtrade status. Check the allergens in both products.

What to consider	What to check when buying	Who it matters to
Fairtrade claim	Check whether the claim applies to the cocoa, the chocolate or the whole breakfast cake. According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background indicates a certified ingredient, not the whole product.	If I want to hand out Fairtrade chocolate, I need to be able to show exactly what the claim applies to. This is the top priority for around 36% of consumers.
Availability and ease of serving	Check that the exact variety is currently available and that the breakfast cake is sliced or packaged in the way you want to serve it.	I want to hand out the treats without extra preparation, rather than rely on a product that is no longer available. This is the top priority for around 29% of consumers.
Nutritional information	Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per serving, including sugars and fibre. Consider any Fairtrade claim separately from these values.	When choosing between breakfast cake varieties, I want to compare the ingredients and portion size first. This is the main consideration for around 21% of consumers.
Allergens and ingredients	Check the latest ingredients and allergen information for both the breakfast cake and the separate chocolate. Check the type of salt if iodine is relevant to your choice.	If I’m handing these out to others, I want to know which ingredients and allergens are in both products. This is the most important consideration for around 14% of consumers.

Common mistakes

Assuming a Fairtrade cocoa claim certifies the whole cake

A claim about one ingredient has a more limited meaning. Milieu Centraal explains that a Fairtrade logo with a white background indicates a certified ingredient.

Decide whether your requirement applies to the chocolate or the whole product, then read the exact wording and check the logo on the packaging.
Treating an old product listing as a buying option

Albert Heijn lists its breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate filling as discontinued. So the product description alone doesn’t mean you can still buy the cake.

Check whether the exact variety is available shortly before Flag Day. If not, consider serving breakfast cake with separate chocolate labelled Fairtrade.
Confusing nutritional information with Fairtrade status

Information about wholegrain ingredients, sugars or fibre describes the composition of a variety, not the certification of its cocoa or chocolate.

Compare the nutritional information and the Fairtrade claim as two separate factors.
Assuming every breakfast cake contains iodised baker’s salt

The type of salt used can vary between bakery products. So don’t assume the label will include a particular claim just because the product is breakfast cake.

Check the ingredients list of your chosen breakfast cake if iodised salt is important to you.

Brands and retailers to consider

Albert Heijn

Worth considering if you’re comparing a breakfast cake with chocolate filling against a combination of breakfast cake and separate Fairtrade chocolate.

Albert Heijn describes AH Bio ontbijtkoek chocolade as filled with fair trade chocolate, and separately labels AH Biologisch Reep extra puur as Fairtrade.
According to Albert Heijn, the breakfast cake has been discontinued. The label on the separate chocolate bar does not make another breakfast cake Fairtrade.

PLUS

Worth considering if you want to distinguish a claim about cocoa across the own-brand range from a claim on a specific breakfast cake.

PLUS says that all cocoa in its own-brand range is Fairtrade-certified.
Always check the brand and exact product details for breakfast cake. A general own-brand claim does not automatically apply to a breakfast cake from another brand.

Jumbo

Worth considering when comparing breakfast cake products with products labelled Fairtrade separately.

Jumbo has both a breakfast cake category and a separate Fairtrade category.
The existence of both categories does not confirm a Fairtrade chocolate claim for a specific breakfast cake. Check the product details for that.

Peijnenburg

Worth considering if you want to compare breakfast cake varieties by ingredients and portion size.

For its variety Volkoren zonder toegevoegde suikers gesneden 12 plakjes, Peijnenburg provides information about wholegrain ingredients and fibre.
This nutritional information is not a Fairtrade chocolate claim. Check the ingredients and any certification for each variety you choose.

ALDI

Worth considering if you’re looking at breakfast cake alongside products labelled Fairtrade separately.

ALDI describes a Fairtrade range and also offers a luxury breakfast cake with pearl sugar.
A Fairtrade claim elsewhere in the range says nothing about the cocoa or chocolate in that breakfast cake.

Lidl

Worth considering if you assess breakfast cake and information about cocoa in other product ranges separately.

Lidl offers luxury breakfast cake and also publishes information about cocoa.
Information about other cocoa products is not a claim about the breakfast cake you choose. Check the packaging of the cake itself.

Related products on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Is breakfast cake with Fairtrade chocolate entirely Fairtrade?

Not automatically. Check whether the claim applies to the chocolate, the cocoa or the whole product. According to Milieu Centraal, a Fairtrade logo with a white background indicates a certified ingredient, not the whole product.

What can I serve if I can’t buy a ready-made variety?

You can serve breakfast cake with chocolate that is labelled Fairtrade separately. For example, Albert Heijn labels AH Biologisch Reep extra puur as Fairtrade; check the latest packaging of both products. The chocolate’s Fairtrade label does not give the breakfast cake the same status.

How can I check for allergens when handing out breakfast cake?

Check the latest allergen information on the packaging of every breakfast cake and any separate chocolate. Look for cereals containing gluten, milk and nuts where these are relevant to your group. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority requires allergens to be clearly listed on the label.

How can I tell whether breakfast cake contains iodised salt?

Check the ingredients list for your chosen variety for a mention of iodised salt. Don’t assume it contains a particular type of salt just because it is breakfast cake.

When should I check the product information again?

Check availability and packaging again shortly before you shop for Flag Day. Albert Heijn warns that product ingredients, nutritional values and allergen information can change.