Cashew nuts are suitable only for guests who can eat cashews. They are not an allergen-free snack and are not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid cashew nuts. For other dietary requirements, check the claims and allergen information on the exact packaging, and keep that information with the snack when portioning and serving it. Also take care to prevent cross-contamination during preparation and service.
You want to avoid giving the impression that a snack is suitable for every food allergy. Check which allergens the exact product contains, and arrange a separately assessed alternative if cashew needs to be avoided. The NVWA and Stichting Voedselallergie provide information about allergens and types of nuts.
For example, you may be looking for a product explicitly labelled gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan for guests who can eat cashew nuts. Check the claim for each variety; a dietary claim is not a general allergen-free guarantee.
You divide packs between several snack breaks and want to keep product information, allergen information and storage instructions with the right snack. The NVWA explains the information requirements for catering, including when nuts are served unpackaged.
Start with the allergen your guests need to avoid. Then check the specific dietary claim and consider how you will manage the packaging, information and serving process.
| What to consider | What to check | Who this matters to |
|---|---|---|
| The allergen to avoid | Check which allergens the exact product contains and what warnings appear on the packaging. | If I’m arranging a snack for someone who needs to avoid cashew or another allergen, I first want to know whether this variety is suitable at all. Around 36% of consumers prioritise avoiding the relevant allergen. |
| A specific dietary claim | Look for the required claim on the exact variety; don’t infer it from a short ingredients list alone. | If I need a gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan option for guests who can eat cashew, I look for the relevant product claim. Around 29% of consumers prioritise a specific dietary requirement. |
| Information at the point of serving | Keep the labels, match serving bowls to the right packaging and prevent contact with other allergens. | If I’m portioning the snacks myself, I want to be able to find the product information and prevent cross-contamination when serving. Around 21% of consumers prioritise controlled serving. |
| Packaging and planning | Compare the net weight, resealability and storage advice with your portioning plan. | If I’m planning several snack breaks, I want to know how much to divide up and how to store leftovers. Around 14% of consumers prioritise packaging and purchasing plans. |
A gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan claim doesn’t change the fact that a cashew product contains cashew nuts.
Match the dietary claim to the correct variety and make the type of nut present clear. Arrange a separately assessed snack for guests who need to avoid cashew.
Offering a separate snack may require extra preparation.
Even a simple ingredients list may come with a warning about the possible presence of peanuts or other nuts. Jumbo and PLUS include such warnings for the cashew varieties mentioned.
For the exact pack, check both the ingredients and any relevant allergen warnings.
Without the packaging, it can be harder to match allergen information to the right serving bowls. When cashew nuts are served unpackaged, the specific type of nut must be identifiable.
Keep the labels and note which serving bowl goes with each product. Make sure staff can provide the information straight away.
Portioning snacks yourself requires extra record-keeping and checks when serving.
These terms describe different product characteristics. The 170 g AH variety is unsalted and contains sunflower oil; Jumbo Unroasted Cashew Nuts 140 g lists cashew nuts as an ingredient.
Compare the preparation method and ingredients separately if those characteristics matter to your snack plan.
Duyvis Cashews Original, 125 g, is a savoury variety that the manufacturer describes as oven-roasted without added oil.
AH Unsalted Cashew Nuts 170 g is labelled vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free on the Dutch product page.
Jumbo sells, among other options, Unroasted Cashew Nuts 140 g and Unsalted Cashew Nuts 200 g; these are different varieties.
Lidl describes its Way To Go cashew nuts as Fairtrade within the Alesto range.
ALDI lists TRADER JOE’S Roasted and Unsalted Cashew Nuts in a 250 g pack.
PLUS Unsalted, Unroasted Cashew Nuts 200 g carries a vegan claim and has an ingredients list that includes cashew nuts.
These Joybuy products are cashew varieties for guests who can eat cashew nuts. Check the current packaging for allergen information, and keep the product identity and information together when portioning.
No image available
An option for guests who can eat cashew nuts; not suitable for guests who need to avoid cashew.
Net weight: 160 g.
Keep the product information with the packaging and prevent cross-contamination during portioning and serving.
No image available
A salted cashew variety for guests who can eat cashew nuts; not suitable for guests who need to avoid cashew.
Net weight: 150 g.
Check the latest allergen information and follow the storage and serving instructions on the packaging.
No image available
A cashew variety you can portion yourself for guests who can eat cashew nuts; not suitable for guests who need to avoid cashew.
Net weight: 500 g.
Keep the packaging information available when serving and prevent cross-contamination.
No image available
A roasted, unsalted cashew variety for guests who can eat cashew nuts; not suitable for guests who need to avoid cashew.
Net weight: 200 g.
Follow the storage and allergen information on the current packaging.
No image available
A savoury, dry-roasted cashew variety for guests who can tolerate the allergens listed on the packaging.
Net weight: 125 g.
The product information lists gluten, wheat, peanuts and cashew as allergens. Do not serve this variety to guests who need to avoid any of these allergens.
No. Cashew nuts are an allergen themselves, and the specific type of nut must be clear in the information given to guests. For anyone who needs to avoid cashew, choose a separately assessed snack that does not contain cashew nuts.
No. Lactose intolerance concerns milk sugar; a milk allergy concerns milk proteins. For a milk allergy, check the ingredients and relevant allergen information rather than relying on a lactose-free claim alone. Stichting Voedselallergie explains the difference.
According to the NVWA, this is possible under certain conditions: the information must be available directly before purchase, also be available in writing or electronically to staff and inspectors, and there must be a visible notice at the point of sale telling guests they can ask for it. For nuts, the specific type of nut must be named.
It is a warning about possible unintended presence, not the same as stating that peanuts have been deliberately added as an ingredient. The NVWA explains that allergen warnings are applied on the basis of a risk assessment and reference values. Consider the warning in relation to the relevant allergy diet, and don’t present the product as guaranteed peanut-free.
No. The NVWA states that a label must not carry a warning when no exceedance of the applicable reference values has been established. That is not the same as a guarantee that no amount of an allergen is present.
