If you have a food allergy, choose a currant bun based on the current ingredients and allergen information for that exact variety, not its brand name or a certification mark. For an unwrapped currant bun, check the allergen information where it is sold. Fairtrade cocoa is an additional consideration only if the currant bun actually contains chocolate or cocoa and the packaging displays the relevant Fairtrade claim. You’ll still need to check the allergen information.
If you or the person you’re buying for needs to avoid an allergen, the information for the exact currant bun will determine whether it’s suitable to consider. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) explains which allergens must be listed on pre-packed foods and what information must be available for unpackaged products.
You’re looking for a currant bun with chocolate or cocoa and want to know whether the Fairtrade mark applies to that ingredient. Fairtrade International explains that a mark on a composite product may refer to certified ingredients. The mark is no substitute for checking the allergen information.
You’re comparing ingredients, nutritional information per 100 g and per portion, and storage instructions for specific packs. Product information from Jumbo and Albert Heijn shows why you need to check the variety: the listed allergens and usage instructions are specific to each product.
First, check that the allergen information matches what you need to avoid. Then, if it matters to your choice, look for cocoa and the exact Fairtrade mark. After that, compare nutritional information, portion size and storage instructions.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens | For pre-packed buns, read the ingredients list and relevant ‘may contain’ statements. Before buying unpackaged buns, ask for the allergen information where they’re sold. | If I need to avoid an allergen, I want to know what may be present in this exact currant bun before I choose it. Around 56% of consumers put checking allergens first. |
| Fairtrade cocoa | Check whether chocolate or cocoa is listed in the ingredients and what the Fairtrade mark or ingredient claim applies to. | If I’m choosing a chocolate variety, I want to know whether the cocoa is actually covered by the Fairtrade claim. For around 22% of consumers, this is the most important additional consideration. |
| Nutritional information and storage | Compare fibre, sugars and salt per 100 g and per portion, among other things. Read the storage instructions for the pack you’ve chosen. | When allergens and Fairtrade don’t determine my choice, I want to choose a suitable portion and know how to store the remaining buns. Around 22% of consumers put these everyday considerations first. |
A shop selling Fairtrade chocolate tells you nothing about the ingredients or certification of an individual currant bun. Fairtrade International also explains that marks on composite products may apply to specific ingredients.
Check both the ingredients list and the exact Fairtrade mark or ingredient claim on the same pack.
The currant bun varieties described by Jumbo and Albert Heijn list different allergens and ‘may contain’ statements. The product name doesn’t make these differences clear.
Check the current packaging, even just before eating. For an unpackaged product, ask for the allergen information where it’s sold before you buy it.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread can also be baked without baker’s salt. So the product category alone won’t tell you which salt was used in a particular currant bun.
Look for baker’s salt or iodised salt in the ingredients list, or ask about the ingredients used for an unpackaged product.
The product information for Jumbo Raisin Currant Buns, pack of 6, can help you assess the ingredients and allergens in this specific variety.
The information for AH Mini Raisin Currant Buns shows which details you can compare for an individual variety.
With Lidl currant buns, it’s important to check the specific pack before choosing based on allergen or nutritional information.
Don’t rely on the term ‘everyday currant bun’: check the ingredients and allergens for the exact variety against what you need to avoid. Jumbo lists wheat and gluten as allergens present in its Raisin Currant Buns, pack of 6. That doesn’t automatically tell you anything about other currant buns.
No. Fairtrade International says that a Fairtrade mark on a composite product may apply to certified ingredients, such as cocoa; the mark is not allergen information. Check the ingredients and allergen information for your chosen currant bun separately.
Before buying, ask for the allergen information for that currant bun where it’s sold. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that sellers of unpackaged foods must inform consumers about allergens present where the products are offered for sale.
Check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt, or ask which ingredients are used if the currant bun is unpackaged. Don’t rely on the product category alone: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, bread can also be baked without baker’s salt.
