Start with the ingredient or allergen that needs to be avoided: a gluten-free label on its own tells you nothing about milk or other allergens. Albert Heijn describes AH Chips naturel as gluten-free, vegan and lactose-free; Schär describes Curvies Paprika as gluten-free, but Jumbo warns that this product may contain traces of milk. Before deciding whether a variety is suitable for a school holiday lunch, check the current packaging, including the ingredients and trace warnings.
If someone can only eat crisps when a particular allergen and any possible traces are suitable for their diet, a general free-from claim isn’t enough. Food Allergy Foundation advises checking the full ingredients list on every pack, every time.
For a savoury snack at a school holiday lunch, you may come across potato crisps, tube-shaped crisps and lentil crisps labelled gluten-free. Compare the label on each variety, and check the other allergen information too if anything besides gluten needs to be avoided.
If you want to avoid animal-derived ingredients or lactose, you’ll need to check different things from someone looking for gluten-free options only. Albert Heijn describes AH Chips naturel as vegan and lactose-free; check the current ingredients and relevant warnings for each variety you choose.
First, work out which exclusion applies to the person eating the crisps, then check the ingredients and warnings on the packaging. Only after that should you compare flavours and pack sizes for lunch.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| A specific food allergy | Read the full ingredients list and any warnings for the allergen that needs to be avoided. | If a lunch can only be taken along when possible traces are also suitable for the individual diet, I don’t want to rely on a general claim. Around 36% of consumers put this specific allergen check first. |
| Gluten-free | Look for an explicit gluten-free label on the variety you choose, and check any other allergen warnings. | I’m mainly looking for a gluten-free savoury snack, but I don’t want to assume that every flavour from a brand has the same label. Around 29% of consumers put choosing gluten-free first. |
| Milk, lactose or animal-derived ingredients | Compare a vegan or plant-based claim with the ingredients, and check separately for any warning about traces of milk. | If our lunch needs to be free from animal-derived ingredients or lactose, the word gluten-free on its own isn’t enough. This is the main priority for around 21% of consumers. |
| Pack size for lunch | Check the weight, and choose a size only after checking the dietary requirements. | For a lunch with several people, I want to know how many crisps I can share out or take along. Around 14% of consumers give this practical consideration top priority. |
Schär describes Curvies Paprika as gluten-free, while Jumbo says that the same variety may contain traces of milk. So, one claim doesn’t automatically answer a question about a different allergen.
Before choosing, make a note of what needs to be avoided and compare it with the full ingredients list and warnings on the packaging.
Ingredients and warnings can change. For example, Lay’s reports changes to allergen warnings on its packaging; Albert Heijn and Pringles also point out that product information may change.
Check the physical packaging again every time you buy, even if you’ve bought the same flavour before.
Being listed in a gluten-free product category doesn’t tell you whether an individual product is also suitable when milk or another allergen needs to be avoided.
Check the label on the variety you’ve chosen first, then decide what size you want to take for lunch.
A claim such as gluten-free doesn’t tell you the full nutritional value or how much each person will eat.
If you wish, compare the nutritional information per 100 g and decide for yourself what portion is right for lunch.
AH Chips naturel is a potato crisp that Albert Heijn describes as gluten-free, vegan and lactose-free.
Schär’s Curvies Paprika is a gluten-free snack in a tube-shaped crisp style.
Eat Real Salted Lentil Chips are lentil crisps that the brand describes as plant-based and gluten-free.
Lay’s offers various potato crisp flavours; check any free-from requirements against each flavour and pack.
Pringles Original is a variety of stacked crisps sold in a tube.
These crisp varieties offer different ingredients, including okra, plantain, cassava and taro, as well as a range of pack sizes for lunch. If you have a dietary restriction, choose a variety only after checking the label for the person who’ll be eating it.
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The 25 g size is a handy option if you want to take a small bag of crisps with you.
If gluten or a specific allergen needs to be avoided, compare the ingredients and any trace warnings on the packaging with that requirement.
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If you’re looking for salted plantain crisps for lunch, you can compare this 85 g size with smaller bags.
If you need to avoid gluten, milk or another allergen, don’t rely on the flavour name; check the current label.
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The 250 g pack is worth considering if you want to share cassava crisps with a chilli flavour.
The name doesn’t tell you whether it meets specific dietary requirements, so check the ingredients and warnings on the packaging.
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This 50 g size is a good option if you’re looking for a smaller bag of taro crisps with a sea salt flavour.
Check the label separately if you need gluten-free or lactose-free crisps, or need to avoid another allergen.
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The 100 g pack is one to compare if you’re looking for cassava crisps for lunch.
This variety is listed as possibly containing traces of peanuts. If peanuts need to be avoided, this warning is important when choosing; check the other information on the current packaging too.
No. Gluten-free refers only to gluten and doesn’t rule out other allergens or warnings about possible traces. Schär describes Curvies Paprika as gluten-free, but Jumbo lists possible traces of milk for that variety. So, check the label for the allergen you want to avoid.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that applicable allergens from the list of regulated allergens must be clearly listed in the ingredients information on pre-packed crisps. Read the full list and check for any warnings that are relevant to your situation.
Use the app to compare products, but check the packaging of the product you actually buy. Albert Heijn warns that ingredients and allergen information can change; Food Allergy Foundation advises checking the ingredients list every time.
It’s a warning about possible cross-contamination with milk, not confirmation that milk has been added as an ingredient. You can’t tell from a gluten-free label whether crisps carrying this warning are suitable for an individual diet; follow the guidance that applies to avoiding milk.
