Choose a canoe pastry if what you mainly want is an all-butter biscuit with almond paste filling. If verifiable Fairtrade cocoa is essential, don’t automatically assume a standard canoe pastry is suitable: the online ingredient lists for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo canoe pastries reviewed here don’t mention cocoa. A separate chocolate snack with a specific Fairtrade cocoa claim is another option. Whatever you choose, check the current packaging and allergen information.
You want the packaging to show that the claim applies specifically to the snack you’ve chosen or to its cocoa. Fairtrade International explains that a tab on a certification mark can indicate which ingredient the claim applies to.
Your main priority is an all-butter biscuit with almond paste filling. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product pages describe canoe pastries of this kind, but their online ingredient lists don’t mention cocoa.
Check the ingredients and warnings on the individual pack. Albert Heijn and Jumbo’s product information for these canoe pastries lists, among other things, cereals containing gluten, milk, egg, soya and almonds or other nuts.
Choose this: if an all-butter biscuit with almond paste filling is the most important part of your afternoon snack.
The trade-off: the online ingredient lists for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo canoe pastries reviewed here don’t include cocoa, so you can’t rely on them as a Fairtrade cocoa choice.
Choose this: if a specific Fairtrade cocoa claim matters more to you than choosing a canoe pastry. Verkade makes this claim for its Extra Puur bar.
The trade-off: a chocolate bar isn’t a canoe pastry with almond paste filling, and the claim for Extra Puur doesn’t automatically apply to other products.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade cocoa | Read the certification mark and the wording on the packaging. If there’s a tab, check which ingredient it refers to. | If my cocoa needs to be Fairtrade, I want to be able to confirm that on the snack I choose. This would be the top priority for around 40% of consumers facing this choice. |
| Allergens | Check the current allergen information and any warnings on the packaging. | When I’m buying for someone with an allergy, suitability comes before my preference for a canoe pastry or a certification mark. This would be the most important consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
| Canoe pastry and portion size | Compare the product description, filling and pack weight with the portion you want to serve. | I specifically want an all-butter biscuit with almond paste filling for my afternoon break, not a chocolate bar on its own. Around 20% of consumers would care most about this product choice. |
| Convenience when shopping | See whether the snack you want fits in with your usual shop, and assess any Fairtrade cocoa claim separately. | I want to pick up my afternoon snack without making an extra trip to the shops, as long as it meets my main requirements. Convenience would come first for an estimated 10% of consumers. |
The product type or the shop’s name tells you nothing about a Fairtrade cocoa claim. The online ingredient lists for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo canoe pastries reviewed here don’t mention cocoa.
Decide whether you mainly want a canoe pastry or specifically want Fairtrade cocoa. For the latter, check the claim on the individual pack.
Fairtrade International explains that, for a composite product, a mark with a tab can refer to a named ingredient, such as cocoa.
Read the wording by the certification mark and on the back of the pack to see exactly what the claim covers.
The product information for the Albert Heijn and Jumbo canoe pastries reviewed here lists several allergens and warnings about the possible presence of other nuts.
Read the current packaging before eating, even if you’ve bought the product before.
Albert Heijn describes its all-butter canoe pastries as all-butter biscuits with 41% almond pastry filling and 1% almonds, in a 270 g pack.
Jumbo describes its all-butter canoe pastries as all-butter biscuits with 38% almond pastry filling, in a 275 g pack.
Verkade states that its Extra Puur chocolate bar contains at least 71% cocoa and carries a Fairtrade cocoa claim.
Read the certification mark and the accompanying claim on the individual pack. Fairtrade International explains that a tab on a composite product can indicate that the claim applies specifically to an ingredient, such as cocoa.
You can’t tell from the online product information reviewed here: the ingredient lists for AH all-butter canoe pastries and Jumbo all-butter canoe pastries don’t mention cocoa. Always check the packaging of any other variety.
First, check whether the individual pack is suitable for the person who’ll be eating the canoe pastry. For the varieties reviewed here, Albert Heijn and Jumbo list, among other things, cereals containing gluten, milk, egg, soya and almonds or other nuts. Also look out for warnings about the possible presence of other nuts.
Follow the instructions on the packaging you’ve bought. Albert Heijn recommends storing its all-butter canoe pastries in a sealed tin after opening. Jumbo says to store its all-butter canoe pastries in a cool, dry and dark place.
