Cashews with a specific label such as gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan may suit guests who can eat cashews; always check the exact packaging. Cashews are not suitable for anyone who needs to avoid them, and warnings about other allergens remain important.
You want to avoid a label such as gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan being mistaken for suitability for someone with a cashew or other nut allergy. Start with the allergen your guest needs to avoid, then check the product information. Stichting Voedselallergie recommends reading the full ingredients list for every product each time.
You’re looking for cashew products for guests who eat gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan, for example, provided cashews fit their diet. Compare the details of the exact product; Albert Heijn, for instance, lists these characteristics for specific cashew products, not for its entire range.
You want to choose flavours and packaging, and make sure the product information is easy to identify during the party. Distinguish between unsalted, unroasted and seasoned cashews: these descriptions alone say nothing about whether a product is free from allergens. For children under 4, Amsterdam UMC recommends nut butter instead of whole nuts, if cashews are suitable for their diet.
Start with what a guest needs to avoid. Then check whether they need a specific dietary label; compare flavour and packaging only once the product information meets your guests’ needs.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| The allergen to avoid | Check the ingredients and warnings about possible allergen presence on the exact packaging. | If I’m buying for a guest with an allergy, I want to know whether the product contains or warns about the allergen in question. Around 36% of consumers put avoiding the relevant allergen first. |
| The specific dietary claim | Look for the required label on the product itself. Lactose-free does not mean suitable for someone with a cow’s milk protein allergy. | If a guest avoids gluten, lactose or animal ingredients and can eat cashews, I look for the appropriate label on the packaging. Around 29% of consumers prioritise a specific dietary requirement like this. |
| Serving and storage | Keep the packaging with the product information and follow the storage and serving instructions. | If I’m organising the party table, I want to keep the different products easy to identify and know what I can offer young children. Around 21% of consumers prioritise serving food clearly and in an age-appropriate way. |
| Flavour, salt and quantity | Compare the preparation method, salt per 100 g and pack size of the product you’ve chosen. | Once I know the product is suitable for the dietary requirement, I choose based on flavour and quantity for my guests. Around 14% of consumers give this consideration priority. |
A cashew product labelled gluten-free, lactose-free or vegan still contains cashews and may not be suitable for someone with a cashew allergy.
Check which allergen your guest needs to avoid, then read the ingredients and warnings on the packaging.
Products from the same brand can differ in their ingredients and allergen warnings. Stichting Voedselallergie recommends checking the full ingredients list every time.
Before serving the cashews, check the exact product name and packaging, along with the ingredients and warnings.
The description of Duyvis Oven roasted cashews salted says they are roasted without added oil, but also lists salt and warnings about the possible presence of wheat and peanuts, among other things. Albert Heijn describes this specific product; that information does not automatically apply to other flavours.
Assess the preparation method, salt and allergen warnings as separate product characteristics.
A summary or symbol is no substitute for the full ingredients list. Product information can also change.
Keep the original packaging while preparing for the party, and make sure the different products are easy to identify.
Specific AH cashew products are labelled vegan, gluten-free and lactose-free. These labels apply to the products in question, not the entire range.
PLUS Cashewnoten ongezouten ongebrand 200 g is an unroasted product with a short ingredients list.
Jumbo Cashewnoten Ongezouten 200 g is an unsalted product made with sunflower oil.
The Duyvis products reviewed include oven-roasted salted cashews and cashews with sea salt.
The Lidl product page lists unsalted cashews.
The ALDI Netherlands product page lists Trader Joe’s Cashewnoten geroosterd en ongezouten 250 g.
The products below are cashew options for guests who can eat cashews. Check the ingredients and allergen information on each pack before serving them to guests with dietary requirements.
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A plain cashew option for guests who can eat cashews; check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Pack size: 160 g.
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A dry-roasted option for guests who can eat cashews. The allergen information listed for this selection also mentions gluten, wheat and peanuts; check the exact packaging.
Pack size: 125 g.
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A salted cashew option for guests who can eat cashews. Check the latest ingredients and allergen information before offering it to guests with dietary requirements.
Pack size: 150 g.
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A larger pack of cashews for guests who can eat cashews. Check the ingredients and allergen warnings on the exact packaging.
Pack size: 500 g.
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A roasted, unsalted option for guests who can eat cashews. Check the ingredients and allergen warnings on the exact packaging.
Pack size: 200 g.
No. These labels don’t mean that a cashew product is free from cashews or all other allergens. Check both the ingredients and allergen warnings for the exact product.
No. Lactose is milk sugar, while a cow’s milk allergy involves milk proteins. A lactose-free label is therefore not enough to establish whether a product is suitable for someone with a cow’s milk allergy. Check the full ingredients and allergen information.
Under the European gluten-free claim, food as sold to the final consumer may contain no more than 20 mg/kg of gluten. Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 is listed as in force on EUR-Lex. This criterion relates to gluten and says nothing about cashews, peanuts or milk.
Amsterdam UMC recommends nut butter rather than whole nuts for children under 4 because of the risk of choking. Nut butter is not an alternative for a child who needs to avoid cashews; always take the child’s diet into account.
First, count how many guests can eat the product you’ve chosen, and take into account the other snacks on the table. AH Ongezouten cashewnoten 225 g lists nine 25 g servings; this can give you a basis for calculating, but it isn’t a recommended party portion.
