Don’t serve cashew nuts to guests who need to avoid cashews: cashews are a tree-nut allergen. If cashews are suitable, check the label and warnings for the specific allergen a guest needs to avoid; unsalted or roasted doesn’t automatically mean free from other allergens. Keep suitable snacks separate and make the ingredient information available.
First, find out which specific allergen a guest needs to avoid and whether cashews are suitable for them. Stichting Voedselallergie lists cashews as one of the types of tree nuts that must be declared on the label.
You’re looking for information about gluten and possible cross-contamination for the exact product variant. A gluten-free claim doesn’t answer the separate question of whether cashews are suitable for that guest.
You want to keep suitable snacks clearly separate and make the ingredient information available. Stichting Voedselallergie describes serving food separately with ingredient cards as good buffet practice.
First, check whether cashews themselves are suitable for your guests. Then consider gluten information, serving arrangements, flavour, preparation and packaging.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Specific allergen | Check the ingredients, allergen information and warnings for the allergen the guest needs to avoid. Cashews themselves are a tree-nut allergen. | I first want to know whether the guest needs to avoid cashews themselves; a claim that the product is free from something else doesn’t change that. Around 34% of consumers prioritise avoiding a specific allergen. |
| Gluten information | Check the packaging for the exact product variant and look for warnings about cereals containing gluten. | If cashews are suitable but a guest needs to avoid gluten, I want to check the gluten information for that specific product. Around 20% of consumers prioritise gluten-free suitability. |
| Serving separately | Keep suitable snacks clearly separate and make the ingredient information available. | At a shared snack table, I want to prevent suitable snacks from ending up among other dishes. Around 20% of consumers prioritise clear, separate serving. |
| Salt and preparation | Check whether the product is unsalted, unroasted or roasted; these characteristics don’t tell you anything about allergens on their own. | Once I’ve checked whether the product is suitable for the guest’s dietary needs, I can base my choice on the salt content and preparation. Around 13% of consumers prioritise these characteristics. |
| Quantity | Compare the net weight with what you need for the party and allow for any leftovers. | I want to choose an amount that suits my group without losing sight of dietary suitability. Around 13% of consumers prioritise quantity and cost. |
It’s important to understand the difference when avoiding milk: a milk allergy is a reaction to milk proteins, while lactose intolerance affects the digestion of milk sugar. So a lactose-free label doesn’t, on its own, tell you whether a product is suitable for someone with a milk allergy. If a guest needs to avoid peanuts or milk, check the information for the exact product variant too; a claim about salt or preparation is no substitute for this check.
The European Commission explains that Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 sets the conditions for the claims ‘gluten-free’ and ‘very low gluten’ and has applied since 20 July 2016. The Dutch Coeliac Association describes ‘may contain cereals containing gluten’ as a warning of a real risk; take this warning into account when making your assessment.
A claim about one substance doesn’t mean other allergens are absent. Cashews themselves are a tree-nut allergen, so a cashew product isn’t suitable for someone who needs to avoid cashews.
Find out which allergen the guest needs to avoid and check the information for the exact product variant.
Milk proteins and milk sugar aren’t the same thing. So a lactose-free label doesn’t automatically tell you whether a product is suitable for someone with a milk allergy.
Ask which substance the guest needs to avoid and check the relevant ingredient and allergen information.
These characteristics describe the salt content or preparation; they don’t prove that gluten, milk, peanuts or another specific allergen is absent.
First check whether the exact product variant is suitable for the guest’s dietary needs, then choose based on salt content and preparation method.
If snacks aren’t clearly kept separate or their ingredient information isn’t available, guests may find it harder to tell what’s in each bowl.
Serve suitable snacks separately, keep the product information with them and make sure guests don’t move snacks between bowls.
Serving snacks separately means extra bowls, ingredient cards and preparation.
Duyvis describes Cashews Original as savoury and oven-roasted; Cashews Sea Salt is seasoned with coarsely ground sea salt.
Albert Heijn lists Unsalted Cashew Nuts for anyone looking for a specifically unsalted option.
Jumbo’s cashew range includes unsalted and unroasted options, as well as a 500 g value pack.
Lidl’s Dutch brand description includes Alesto cashew nuts and Way To Go cashew nuts.
ALDI lists Trader Joe’s Roasted Unsalted Cashew Nuts in a 250 g pack.
PLUS lists unsalted, unroasted cashew nuts in a 200 g bag.
These Joybuy products show a range of flavours, preparation methods and pack descriptions. Always check the latest product information against your guests’ needs; none of these characteristics replaces an allergen assessment.
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First check whether cashews are suitable for your guests; cashews are the only ingredient in this variant.
The product information lists 100% cashew kernels and a net weight of 160 g.
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This variant is only an option if cashews are suitable for the guest and the latest product information meets their other dietary needs.
The product name describes these as salted cashew nuts.
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Consider this variant only after confirming that cashews are suitable and that the information meets your guest’s specific needs.
The product title describes these as roasted, unsalted cashew nuts; the product information lists a net weight of 200 g.
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You can consider this larger pack only after checking that cashews and the rest of the product information are suitable for your guests.
The product information lists salt and a net weight of 500 g.
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Only consider this variant if cashews are suitable for the guest and the latest allergen information meets their other needs.
The product name describes these as salted cashew nuts with skins and lists a weight of 120 g.
No. Don’t serve cashews to anyone who needs to avoid them. Cashews themselves are a tree-nut allergen; a claim about gluten or preparation, for example, doesn’t change that.
No. A milk allergy is a reaction to milk proteins, while lactose intolerance affects the digestion of milk sugar. Check the product information based on the substance the guest actually needs to avoid.
A gluten-free claim relates to gluten; it doesn’t mean the product is free from cashews. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 sets the conditions for the claims ‘gluten-free’ and ‘very low gluten’; according to the European Commission, it has applied since 20 July 2016.
Since 1 January 2026, the NVWA has checked the rules for allergen warnings on prepacked products, and the measures businesses take to prevent cross-contamination, during inspections. These are obligations for food businesses, not a general guarantee that every product is suitable for every guest.
Keep suitable snacks separate and leave the ingredient information alongside them. Stichting Voedselallergie describes serving food separately with ingredient cards as good buffet practice; this doesn’t replace checking the product and can’t guarantee that contact between dishes will always be prevented.
No. The NVWA warning specifically names Trader Joe’s unsalted cashew nuts, 170 g, with barcode 2003020120930 and best-before date 23-09-2026. Don’t eat this specific pack because it may contain metal fragments; the warning doesn’t automatically apply to other packs or the entire ALDI range.
