Organisers of standard coffee breaks
Looking for a biscuit that can be portioned out per guest when no specific dietary requirement determines the choice.
Who is this choice relevant to?
Caterers providing allergen information
Need up-to-date product information for biscuits served unpackaged. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) requires information about relevant allergens to be available where the food is offered.
Planners catering for fibre or gluten-free requirements
Compare fibre using the nutritional information or choose a separate product explicitly labelled gluten-free, rather than relying on the name digestive.
What should you look for when choosing?
First, establish which allergen and dietary requirements you need to cater for. Then compare the nutritional information and choose a portion size and packaging format that suits the way you’ll serve the biscuits. An individually wrapped speculoos biscuit, for example, is a different type of product from a digestive.
| What to consider | What to check before buying | Who it matters most to |
|---|---|---|
| Allergens and dietary requirements | Check the ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ statements for each product, and whether any required property, such as gluten-free, is stated explicitly. | If a guest needs to avoid certain ingredients, I want to know which biscuit is suitable before serving. Around 38% of consumers would put allergens and dietary suitability at the top of their list of selection criteria. |
| Fibre and ingredients | Compare fibre and sugars on the same basis, preferably per 100 g, and check the portion size too. | If fibre matters for what I’m serving, I want to compare the value on the label rather than rely on terms such as ‘digestive’ or ‘wholegrain’. For around 31% of consumers, this would be their top priority. |
| Portions and serving | Check how many biscuits make up a portion and whether they’re served loose or individually wrapped. | During a short break, I want to be able to hand out biscuits quickly to each guest without working out portions on the spot. Serving format and portion control would come first for around 31% of consumers. |
Common mistakes when serving biscuits
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Taking the name digestive as a nutritional claim
Fibre content varies from one biscuit to another. Jumbo’s product information for McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate also explicitly states that the ingredients do not contain substances that aid digestion.
Don’t use the product name as a substitute for checking the ingredients list. Compare the nutritional information per 100 g and per portion.
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Assuming wholegrain or lactose-free means gluten-free
According to Jumbo, Jumbo Digestive Wholegrain contains gluten and wheat. Albert Heijn labels AH Digestive as lactose-free, but it also contains wheat.
Match each dietary label to the guest’s specific needs and check both ‘contains’ and ‘may contain’ on the current packaging.
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Serving loose biscuits without allergen information
According to the NVWA, information about relevant allergens must be available where unpackaged food is offered.
Keep the current packaging or product specifications to hand, and make sure guests can get the correct allergen information at every serving point.
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Looking only at the individual packaging
Individually wrapped biscuits can make it easier to serve one to each guest, but that doesn’t make them a digestive with the same ingredients. The Lotus speculoos described by Albert Heijn is a different type of biscuit.
Decide whether ease of serving or a specific product composition matters most before choosing the type of biscuit and packaging format.
Relevant brands and product ranges
McVitie's
The Digestives Original we looked at is a 400 g wheat biscuit for a standard coffee break.
- According to Jumbo’s product information, Original contains 3.7 g of fibre and 15.1 g of sugars per 100 g; one biscuit counts as a portion.
- Original contains wheat and may contain milk. According to Jumbo, the milk chocolate variety also contains milk and soya; the varieties are not interchangeable when providing allergen information.
Jumbo
The Digestive Wholegrain we looked at is an option to compare for fibre content.
- Jumbo lists 5.8 g of fibre per 100 g for this variety, with ingredients including wholemeal wheat flour, wheat flour and wheat flakes.
- This product contains gluten and wheat, and may contain barley, oats and rye. Wholegrain does not mean gluten-free here.
Albert Heijn
AH Digestive is an own-label variety whose product information describes it as vegan and lactose-free.
- Albert Heijn lists 3.2 g of fibre and 16 g of sugars per 100 g for AH Digestive.
- The same product information lists wheat and the possible presence of barley, oats and rye; lactose-free does not mean gluten-free.
Schär
According to Jumbo’s product information, Digestive Landtaler is a gluten-free biscuit specially made for people with gluten intolerance.
- Jumbo lists 7.4 g of fibre per 100 g for this product.
- The product contains soya and may contain lupin and egg. So even when choosing a gluten-free option, check for other allergens too.
Lotus Biscoff
The speculoos pack we looked at is designed for serving individually wrapped coffee biscuits; speculoos is not a digestive.
- Albert Heijn describes the pack as containing 300 individually wrapped biscuits for food-service use.
- The speculoos described contains wheat and soya. The listed values are 1.3 g of fibre and 38 g of sugars per 100 g.
Biscuits for a conference break on Joybuy
These products include a classic digestive, two chocolate digestives and other biscuits to serve with coffee or tea. Choose the type of product to suit your guests and how you’ll serve it; don’t treat the other biscuits as gluten-free or high-fibre alternatives to a digestive.
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McVities Digestive Original 400 g
For a standard coffee break when you want to serve a classic digestive to each guest.
According to the product information for this Original variety, one 14.7 g biscuit is a portion; per 100 g, it contains 3.7 g of fibre and 15.1 g of sugars. Contains wheat and may contain milk.
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Hellema Smoeltjes Speculaas, 8 pieces, 200 g
A speculaas biscuit option to serve with coffee or tea, but not for anyone specifically looking for a digestive.
For guests with allergies, check the label: this product contains wheat, milk and egg, among other ingredients, and also lists possible allergens. Only compare fibre and sugars with other biscuits once you’ve confirmed the nutritional values are given on the same basis.
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Lu Scholiertje Milk Chocolate Biscuits 150 g
For a coffee or tea break where milk chocolate biscuits fit the bill; this isn’t a digestive.
The product information describes individually wrapped portions of two biscuits. When providing information to guests, take account of milk, wheat and soya; the product may contain nuts.
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McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate 266 g
A milk chocolate digestive for anyone who wants to offer a chocolate biscuit alongside the classic variety.
Contains milk, soya and wheat. Check the portion size and nutritional information on the current packaging before comparing this variety with another digestive.
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McVitie's Digestives with Dark Chocolate 266 g
A dark chocolate digestive as an alternative among the chocolate varieties for a coffee break.
Contains wheat, milk and soya. To compare portions, fibre and sugars, check the nutritional information on the current packaging.
Frequently asked questions
Does ‘digestive’ mean a biscuit aids digestion?
No. The product name doesn’t prove any such effect. Compare the fibre value on the label; Jumbo explicitly states that the ingredients in McVitie's Digestives Milk Chocolate do not contain substances that aid digestion.
What allergen information is needed for loose biscuits on a conference table?
According to the NVWA, information about relevant allergens must be available where you offer unpackaged biscuits. Use the current product information for each biscuit. The NVWA sets requirements for how you provide this information, either in writing or verbally.
Is a wholegrain digestive gluten-free too?
No. ‘Wholegrain’ doesn’t mean ‘gluten-free’: Jumbo states that its Digestive Wholegrain contains gluten and wheat. For a gluten-free selection, choose a product explicitly labelled as such and check for other allergens too.
How should I store digestive biscuits before the conference?
Follow the storage instructions on the packaging; the digestive products we looked at should be kept in a cool, dry place. Before serving, check the best-before date and reseal any opened pack as instructed.