Choose currant buns for an office lunch based on the number of portions you need, allergen information and storage options. If the bun itself must be Fairtrade, check the claim on the exact product packaging: a separate Fairtrade chocolate bar doesn’t make the bun Fairtrade. Fairtrade cocoa may also use mass balance; according to Fairtrade International, this doesn’t necessarily mean that certified and non-certified cocoa remain physically separate.
You’re putting together a lunch and need to decide whether the Fairtrade requirement applies to the currant bun itself or whether a separate product, such as chocolate, can meet it. Check the claim on each product: a certification mark on the chocolate doesn’t automatically apply to the bun.
You’re buying for several colleagues and want to check the ingredients, allergens present and those that may be present, nutritional information, portion size and number of items for each variety.
You’re buying in advance and need storage instructions to plan when to serve them. For a frozen variety, the required freezer storage and defrosting instructions are particularly important.
First decide which part of the lunch needs to be Fairtrade. Then compare the exact currant bun varieties by allergens, portions, nutritional information and storage requirements.
| What to consider | What to look for | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade claim | Check exactly which product carries the claim. For chocolate, also look for any mention of mass balance. | If Fairtrade is a requirement for our lunch, I want to know whether it applies to the bun itself or the chocolate. For around 45% of consumers, being able to verify a Fairtrade choice comes first. |
| Allergens, nutritional information and portions | Read the latest allergen information and compare portion size, fibre, sugars and salt on the same basis, for example per 100 g. | When ordering for colleagues, I want to know which varieties they can eat and how many items we need. Around 36% of consumers give suitability for the group the highest priority. |
| Storage and serving | Check the storage temperature, best-before date and instructions for defrosting and refreezing the variety you choose. | If I’m buying well ahead of lunch, I want to be able to store the stock and serve it in suitable quantities. For around 19% of consumers, planning is the most important factor. |
A supermarket may sell Fairtrade products without every currant bun in its range carrying that claim.
Check the packaging or product page for the exact currant bun. Treat any chocolate you buy alongside it as a separate product.
According to Fairtrade International, certified and non-certified ingredients may be mixed during processing under mass balance, while Fairtrade volumes are monitored.
Read the Fairtrade wording on the chocolate bar you choose. If mass balance applies, don’t describe the claim as full physical traceability.
The Jumbo and Albert Heijn currant buns described contain wheat and milk; other possible allergens may also be listed, depending on the variety.
Before buying, check the allergen information on the packaging of the exact variety and agree alternatives to suit the team’s needs.
For its pack of 6 Currant Buns (freshly frozen), Albert Heijn states that the buns must not be refrozen after defrosting.
Only defrost the quantity you need for serving, and follow the instructions on the packaging.
Albert Heijn offers currant bun varieties with different storage instructions, as well as a separate chocolate bar carrying a Fairtrade label.
Jumbo Raisin Currant Buns are described as a pack of six, with ingredients, allergen and nutritional information provided.
Lidl offers a currant bun and also runs Fairtrade programmes for certain other products.
No. A claim on a separate chocolate bar doesn’t automatically apply to the currant bun. If the bread itself needs to meet a Fairtrade requirement, check for a product-specific label on the packaging of the bun you choose.
No. Mass balance may apply to cocoa. According to Fairtrade International, certified and non-certified ingredients may then be mixed during processing, while Fairtrade volumes are monitored. Albert Heijn mentions mass balance on its AH Organic Extra Dark Bar.
Check the allergens present and those that may be present on the packaging of each variety you choose. Wheat and milk are listed as allergens present in the Jumbo and Albert Heijn currant buns described; information about other possible allergens varies by variety.
Follow the storage instructions on the exact packaging and don’t defrost more than you need to serve. For AH Currant Buns 6 pack (freshly frozen), Albert Heijn specifies storage at −18 °C, defrosting at room temperature and not refreezing after defrosting.
Read the ingredients list for the variety you choose. Iodised salt is listed for AH Large Raisin Currant Buns; don’t assume every currant bun has the same ingredients.
