Who is this choice for?

Travellers taking a snack in their hand luggage

If you pack a dry biscuit before setting off, you can take it in your hand luggage as food. Schiphol distinguishes between solid food and liquid or spreadable additions.

Shoppers who check the ingredients

According to Albert Heijn, the AH Digestive reviewed here is labelled vegan and lactose-free. That doesn’t mean the biscuit is suitable for anyone who needs to avoid wheat or other gluten-containing cereals.

Fans of filled biscuits

If you’d rather have almond paste than an unfilled biscuit, canoe biscuits are worth considering. The Albert Heijn and Jumbo butter canoe biscuits reviewed here are filled biscuits; their ingredients and allergens should be checked separately.

What should you look for when choosing?

First, choose between an unfilled biscuit and one filled with almond paste. Then check the label on the pack you’re taking with you, and bear the hand-luggage rules in mind if you’re bringing any extras.

What to consider What to look for Who it matters to
Convenience in hand luggage Choose a well-sealed pack of dry biscuits. Check the rules for liquid or spreadable additions separately. I want to take a biscuit on my flight without the hassle of bringing a spread. For around 38% of consumers, this convenience in hand luggage is the most important factor.
Ingredients and allergens Read the current allergen information, especially for wheat, milk, egg, soya and almond. If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the label determines which option I can choose. For around 37% of consumers, checking this comes first.
Type of biscuit Compare an unfilled digestive with a canoe biscuit containing almond paste; check the nutritional information per 100 g and per serving. I either fancy a simple biscuit or a filled treat. For around 25% of consumers, that difference in taste is what decides it.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a digestive is gluten-free

    The AH Digestive reviewed here contains wheat and may also contain barley, oats and rye, according to Albert Heijn. A vegan or lactose-free label doesn’t change that.

    If you have a wheat allergy or need to avoid gluten, read the allergen information on the pack you’re actually buying.

  • Treating canoe biscuits and digestives as the same type of biscuit

    The AH Butter Canoe Biscuits reviewed here are filled with almond paste. Albert Heijn lists 39 g of sugars per 100 g for this variety, compared with 16 g per 100 g for the AH Digestive reviewed here. These figures apply to these two products, not to all canoe biscuits and digestives.

    Choose the type of biscuit you want to eat, and compare the nutritional information again for other varieties.

  • Overlooking a spreadable addition

    At Schiphol, a dry biscuit and a jar of spread don’t fall under the same hand-luggage rules: according to Schiphol, spreadable food is covered by the liquids rules.

    Before you set off, check the rules for any addition you want to take, even if the biscuits themselves are dry.

  • Relying on an online product description alone

    Ingredients and allergens can vary between varieties or packs. If you’re choosing a biscuit because of lactose, wheat or nuts in particular, the product name alone isn’t enough.

    Check the label on the pack you’re buying before packing it for your trip.

Brands to consider

Albert Heijn

The own-brand products reviewed include both AH Digestive and AH Butter Canoe Biscuits.

  • According to Albert Heijn, AH Digestive is labelled vegan and lactose-free.
  • The AH Butter Canoe Biscuits reviewed contain milk, egg and almond, among other ingredients; check the current label for each product.

Jumbo

The Jumbo Kano's met Roomboter reviewed are biscuits filled with almond paste.

  • Jumbo lists 38% almond paste for this variety.
  • Jumbo describes the pack as containing five servings; check whether it suits the way you want to eat the biscuits on the go.

PLUS

The PLUS product listings reviewed include PLUS Butter Canoe Biscuits and Aviateur Kano's.

  • PLUS describes its butter canoe biscuits as biscuits with almond paste and an almond decoration.
  • The Aviateur variety has a different composition; check the ingredients and allergens on the specific pack you choose.

Verkade

The Verkade products reviewed are digestive biscuits, including a variety coated in dark chocolate.

  • The chocolate coating sets the Verkade Digestive puur reviewed apart from a plain digestive.
  • Albert Heijn listed the Original variety reviewed as no longer in its range; check availability by shop and variety.

Digestives at Joybuy

This product selection focuses on unfilled digestives as a dry snack to pack before you set off. Compare the label with your own ingredient requirements; a filled canoe biscuit is a different choice.

McVities Digestive Original 400 g

McVities Digestive Original 400 g

An unfilled digestive for anyone who’d rather take a biscuit than a canoe biscuit filled with almond paste.

400 g pack. This variety lists 15.1 g of sugars per 100 g.

The product contains wheat and may contain milk. If you have allergies, check the label on the pack you’re buying.

View at Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

Can I take a pack of canoe biscuits or digestives in my hand luggage from Schiphol?

Yes, Schiphol allows food in hand luggage. For dry biscuits, the main thing to bear in mind is that liquid or spreadable additions are covered by Schiphol’s liquids rules.

Can I take a spread through security with my biscuits?

Only if the spread meets the applicable liquids rules. Schiphol classifies spreadable food as a liquid, so check the permitted container size before you set off.

Which of the biscuits reviewed is suitable for a vegan or lactose-free diet?

According to Albert Heijn, the AH Digestive reviewed here is labelled vegan and lactose-free; the AH Butter Canoe Biscuits reviewed contain milk, lactose and egg. If you need to avoid wheat or other allergens, check the current label on the digestive too.