First, check which ingredient you or your guests need to avoid: if you have a cashew allergy, no cashew product is suitable. A specific gluten-free or lactose-free label may be relevant to your needs, but it doesn’t replace checking the ingredients and allergen warnings on the exact pack. Lactose-free also doesn’t automatically mean suitable for someone with a milk allergy.
If you’re buying for someone who needs to avoid a specific allergen, first check whether cashew itself is suitable. If they have a cashew allergy, the whole category is out; for other allergies, check the ingredients and cross-contamination warnings on the exact pack. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre and the Food Allergy Foundation advise reading product information carefully.
If you can eat cashews but need to avoid gluten, check the information for the finished, packaged product. The Dutch Coeliac Society points out that some products are naturally gluten-free; that alone doesn’t tell you what has been added to a particular snack or what warnings it carries.
A lactose-free label may matter if you have lactose intolerance, but it doesn’t automatically tell you whether a product is suitable for someone with a milk allergy. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre distinguishes between lactose intolerance and a reaction to milk proteins.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists cashew as a tree nut allergen, so if you have a cashew allergy, this whole product group is out. For other dietary requirements, the ingredients and warnings on the exact pack are more helpful than words such as ‘unsalted’ or ‘roasted’.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Avoiding the right allergen | Check the specific allergen, the full ingredients list and any warnings on the pack. | If I’m buying for someone with an allergy, I want to know whether cashew itself and any cross-contamination risks are relevant. Around 31% of consumers prioritise avoiding a specific allergen other than gluten or lactose. |
| Gluten in the finished product | Read the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information for the exact variety. | When I need to avoid gluten, I want information about the packaged product, not just the nut itself. Around 25% of consumers give avoiding gluten top priority. |
| Lactose and milk allergy | Establish whether you need to avoid lactose or milk proteins, then check the relevant product information. | If lactose intolerance is my concern, I look for information about lactose; with a milk allergy, I also need to check for milk proteins. Around 19% of consumers prioritise avoiding lactose. |
| Preparation and flavour | Check whether the cashews are unroasted, roasted, seasoned or prepared with oil. | Once I’ve established that my dietary requirements are covered, I want to choose between a plain preparation and a savoury flavour for movie night. Around 13% of consumers place the greatest importance on their preferred preparation or flavour. |
| Packaging and storage | Compare the pack weight and follow the storage instructions on the pack. | For movie night, I want to choose an amount that suits my needs and store any leftovers properly. Around 12% of consumers value affordability or convenient packaging most. |
A label referring to one ingredient doesn’t mean cashew or other allergens are absent. Cashew is itself a tree nut allergen.
Be specific about which allergen someone needs to avoid. If they have a cashew allergy, don’t choose a cashew product.
The name of a nut doesn’t tell you everything about the ingredients and warnings for a packaged, possibly seasoned variety.
Read the information for the exact pack and don’t judge suitability solely by the type of nut or the name of the preparation.
The unsalted varieties from Albert Heijn and Jumbo that were checked contain sunflower oil. The ingredients list for the unroasted PLUS variety names cashews.
Check the preparation and full ingredients list separately from the ‘unsalted’ label.
Ingredients and allergen information apply to a specific variety and pack. A different pack or product listing may contain different information.
Check the brand, full variety name and label again, even if you’ve bought a product with a similar name before.
Choosing the wrong variety could mean you need another snack for movie night after all.
Duyvis Cashews Original is a savoury-seasoned, oven-roasted variety in a 125 g pack.
AH Organic Unsalted Cashews is the variety checked that carries gluten-free and lactose-free labels.
Jumbo Unsalted Cashews 200 g is an unsalted variety containing cashews and sunflower oil.
Lidl describes Dutch varieties as unsalted and spicy roasted cashews.
ALDI Netherlands describes roasted, unsalted cashews in a 250 g pack.
PLUS Unsalted Unroasted Cashews 200 g is the unroasted variety that was checked.
This Joybuy selection focuses on savoury roasted cashews for people who can eat cashews; check the allergen information against your own dietary requirements.
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This savoury roasted variety is suitable for people who can eat cashews and want a seasoned snack for movie night.
The product description says the cashews are oven-roasted without added fat or oil and flavoured with a savoury seasoning containing salt.
The allergen information lists gluten, wheat and peanuts as present; don’t choose this variety if you need to avoid these ingredients.
Pack weight: 125 g.
No. If you have a cashew allergy, don’t choose a cashew product. A gluten-free, lactose-free or unsalted label doesn’t change the fact that cashew itself is a tree nut allergen, as the Netherlands Nutrition Centre points out.
No. Lactose intolerance is related to milk sugar; with a milk allergy, the immune system reacts to milk proteins. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre makes this distinction, so only rely on a lactose-free label for lactose-related needs and check for milk allergens separately.
Yes. Implementing Regulation (EU) 828/2014 sets requirements for the labels ‘gluten-free’ and ‘very low gluten’. The European Commission states that these rules have applied since 20 July 2016; ‘unroasted’ or ‘roasted’ is no substitute for checking the product information.
No. The unsalted varieties from Albert Heijn and Jumbo that were checked contain sunflower oil. So check the full ingredients list for the variety you’re buying.
Do not eat the pack covered by the warning. On 20 May 2026, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) issued a warning about ALDI unsalted cashews, 170 g, barcode 2003020120930 and best-before date 23-09-2026, due to possible metal fragments. The warning applies to that specific pack and does not automatically apply to other pack sizes or batches.
